GJA holds forum to evaluate NRC coverage

Accra, July 21, GNA - Speakers at an evaluation meeting of the coverage of the work of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC), have lauded the media for its role in the national reconciliation process which began in September last year.

They contended that the media had done a fairly good job, and most of their reports did not subvert the reconciliation process, indicating that the tone and direction of the reportage had since improved. Reporters on the National Reconciliation beat, staff of the Public Affairs Department of the NRC, and participants at a workshop in Akosombo that prepared the "Spirit of Akosombo", the blueprint to guide the coverage of the National Reconciliation process attended the forum. The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), in collaboration with the UNDP, and KAB Governance Consult, an Accra consultancy firm organised the meeting.

Dr. Audrey Gadzekpo of the School of Communication Studies, Legon noted the need to establish the truth in the reconciliation process, but said getting to the truth was a complex matter.

She called on journalists to adopt some of the best practices captured in the Spirit of Akosombo, stressing that, getting at the truth required accuracy, balance, fairness, depth, context and a better understanding of what was to be achieved in the process. Dr. Gadzekpo noted, however, that the media had not helped very much in giving perspective to some of the testimonies. She said the media had tended to highlight celebrity stories to the disadvantage of the voiceless, without any bother to illuminate emerging patterns of human rights abuses against people in small towns and villages. Dr Gadzekpo also noted the lack of logistics, which had dwindled the coverage of the process and reminded reporters that some questions asked by the Commissioners might be more important than the testimony of witnesses. Mr Mohammed Affum of the NRC Public Affairs Directorate stressed that reporters needed to crosscheck their facts with the Commission before publishing stories. He said as at Friday, July 18, 2003, 2,306 cases had been heard. These cases of killing, abductions, disappearances, detentions, and ill treatment. Others were cases of torture, seizure of property, dismissals and other human rights abuses. The reporters on the Reconciliation beat appealed to the Public Affairs Directorate to be more accessible to facilitate their work on the Commission. Mrs Gifty Affenyi-Dadzie, President of GJA urged the media to do all within their power to make the Reconciliation process achieve the desired impact for national peace and stability.