Professor Kwame Karikari, Former Chairman for Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) addressing the media at a forum organised by GIBA and UNESCO in Kumasi
The former Chairman of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Professor Kwame Karikari has urged media persons to spend more time to analyse and write on issues about migration.
The famous Media Professor believes the manner people travel across the country and the means they use to do same should be of concern to the media.
Addressing a media workshop organised by the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) under the sponsorship of UNESCO in Kumasi, Prof Karikari noted that the reportage on these issues would help to provide information to government so as to enable it plan towards same.
Rather than spending more time and spaces on issues on partisan politics, the media educationist asked media practitioners as well as owners to allocate time to discuss how people were traveling across the country as well as outside the shores of Ghana.
“It is an undeniable fact that Ghanaians love to travel and most do so for varied reasons so I urge the media to find out the risks, motivations and the economic impact these issues about migration presents for discussion for a possible policy formulation”, Prof Karikari noted.
DIGITAL MIGRATION:
Taking his turn to brief the media on processes the Communication ministry has undertaken to migrate television channels on the national digital platform, Mr Andrew Aninkorah, Executive Director of GIBA noted there were unresolved issues.
He expressed worry at the manner the Communication ministry was going about deliberations on the migration process.
Rather than redefining the strategy it intends to use by making television stations in Ghana collaborate to fix masts to facilitate the migration mix, Mr Aninkorah said the Ministry wants each of the stations to put up at least 44 masts across the country.
He revealed that the Ministry plans to grant licenses only to television stations that would be able to put up such sites.
The GIBA Director wondered why the Ministry was refusing to agree to the television stations partnering to carry out the measure so that there would be reduced numbers of masts across the country.
“We are surprised at the manner the Communication ministry is taking the issues of the digital migration to because it is unthinkable to have each of the over 100 television stations fixing 44 masts across the country before they are licensed to broadcast in Ghana “, Mr Aninkorah said.
MEDIA PERSONS:
Speaking to the Ghanaian Observer newspaper after the workshop, Kwabena Sikayena, news editor at Time FM in Obuasi said it was important that the media as well as owners give time for discussion on pertinent issues about migration.
He also asked the Communication ministry to rather than force its way in getting the television stations to comply with its directives it chooses dialogue to do so.
James Appiakorang, Ashanti Regional representative for Modern Ghana online called for more training workshops for the media to perfect the skill of discussing migration issues in an informed manner.
He noted that the kind of information the media has would surely inform the kind of discussion they engage in.
