Former President of Ghana and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, has called for a significant reorientation of Ghana’s media landscape, expressing concerns over the excessive politicization of discussions in the country.
The former president noted that the prevalence of privately owned media outlets has shifted the focus toward political debate, often at the expense of expert opinions on critical issues.
During a recent meeting with the clergy at De Icon Event Centre in Accra on Tuesday, October 1, Mahama criticized the trend of talk shows and discussions featuring political party representatives, even when addressing non-political topics such as veterinary medicine and animal health.
“We need a reorientation of our media because much of it is privately owned, and the way our discussions are shaped often involves bringing political forces to discuss everything under the sun,” he remarked. “For instance, you’re discussing veterinary medicine, yet you bring someone from the NPP and NDC to debate it.”
Mahama compared Ghana’s media approach to that of other countries with two major political parties, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. He pointed out that in those nations, political figures do not dominate every public discussion, especially when expert knowledge or non-partisan perspectives are required.
“We have duopolies in America, with the Republicans and Democrats, and in the UK, with the Conservatives and Liberals. Yet you don’t hear politicians on the radio every morning debating and insulting each other.”
He advocated for a more structured approach to media discussions in Ghana, suggesting that experts and neutral voices should be engaged when the subject matter requires specialized knowledge or when political involvement is unnecessary.
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Story by: Akpalu Edmond Deladem | univers.ug.edu.gh
