The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has released its first quarter campaign language monitoring report covering the period April-June, 2016. During the period, a total of 343 indecent expressions were recorded on a total of 4,759 radio programmes monitored on 50 radio stations across the country.
During the monitoring period, seven different categories of indecent expressions were used by officials, supporters and affiliates of seven political parties – New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP), People’s National Congress (PNC), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and a group introduced as National Labour Party (NLP).
Overall, unsubstantiated allegations (127) and insulting and offensive comments (127) were the most used indecent expressions during the quarter. Other indecent expressions used during the period included provocative comments (52), remarks endorsing violence (20), remarks inciting violence (8), remarks promoting divisiveness (7) and tribal slurs (2).
As far as radio stations are concerned, Accra-based Montie FM topped the pack of stations that recorded the use of abusive expressions on their platforms with 83 incidents followed by Oman FM (54) and Happy FM (30).
The MFWA campaign language monitoring project is aimed at encouraging people to be measured in their use of language by naming and shaming those who use abusive expressions on radio. The project titled, Promoting Issues-based and Decent Language Campaigning for a Peaceful, Free and Fair Elections in Ghana in 2016 is being carried out with funding support from OSIWA, STAR-Ghana, the EU (through Socioserve-Ghana) and the Embassy of France in Ghana.
The full report with other details on other individuals who used indecent expressions and the radio stations that recorded these incidents can be found here.
For more information, contact Abigail Larbi Odei on 0244867047 or Dora B. Mawutor on 0246740358.
