Nana Akomea Calls For Training of Hosts of Political Programmes

The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea, has called for training for hosts of major political programs on radio by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to obviate personality attacks and whipping up of tribal sentiments in the media. Though he agrees to the fact that sometimes serial callers go overboard, the NPP man was quick to state that many of the panelists on political programs engage in very dirty politics by running others down without the hosts stopping them. �A major chunk of the blame would be placed on the press and the hosts of some of these programs, because whatever happens at the station depends on the host but some media professionals clearly exhibiting lack of understanding with regards to the work they do. ��If I say something that is deemed a personality attack, propaganda or without evidence, it is your duty to stop me because you (host) performs your duty by standing between the panelists and the public, so if you are not also up to it, this would make such behaviors in the media flourish,� he told KABA the host of Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM. The head of the communication wing of the biggest opposition party made this observation after Otumfuo Osei Tutu II; the Asantehene urged the media to engage in accurate reportage of the proceedings on the election petition trial currently on-going at the Supreme Court. Nana Akomea in reinforcing the Asantehene�s call, he asserted that the way out of the problem is for the GJA to help train hosts of top radio programs in the country who would also pass on the knowledge acquired to their subordinates. He however insisted that there are very good hosts who would not allow their platforms to be used for spewing �foolish things� because they will quickly stop you.