The key to deepening democracy and preventing conflict and under-development in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is empowering the media to expose bad governance in society.
Speaking at the regional meeting on the Media, Conflict and Democracy in West Africa, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Information, said deliberately placing obstacles on the path of the media to ensure that they did not report issues bordering on bad governance would only lead to deprivation, frustration and aggression as well as destructive conflicts.
The ECOWAS Commission is organising the region-wide programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media to proactively engage in conflict prevention activities and deepening the ideals of regional integration.
The meeting is to define the role of the media in the situations of war and peace-building, study the feasibility of adopting minimum ethical norms and standards to combat and prevent conflict-exacerbating journalism in the
ECOWAS space in line with ECOWAS "Vision 2020 Agenda" which aims to forge an integrated prosperous and conflict-resilient West African Community of Peoples.
Media executives, journalists and experts across the region are attending the meeting which will discuss and agree on minimum commitments
against media practices that militate against national cohesion and regional integration and hate media.
Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa urged member states of ECOWAS to support the process of evolving a responsible media sector in the region, saying that removing the impediments would go a long way to foster the development of the country.
He expressed the hope that the meeting would work towards reversing the negative trend of persecution against the media by putting in place a regional agenda owned and operationalised by local media stakeholders in member states.
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Communications, urged the media to be circumspect in reporting on sensitive issues since such explosive situations could exacerbate conflicts.
Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, Director of Political Affairs of ECOWAS, said despite ECOWAS' declaration of zero tolerance for power obtained or maintained by unconstitutional means, the region was witnessing a disturbing
trend of constitutional coups d'etats through the manipulation of constitutions and elections by incumbents to maintain power illegally.
He said such practices, which were often accompanied by the muzzling of the media and repression, constituted a mortal danger to the regional democracy project and must be combated with all available legal means.
"That is why we must remain vigilant. That is why we are gathered here today to try and agree on minimum commitments against media practices that militate against national cohesion and regional integration," Dr Musah said.
"In particular, we must set minimum ethical rules to guard against divisive and inciting journalism, particularly the practice of hate media," he added.
Hate media is a form of cultural violence provoked by the propaganda of intolerance premised on biological, physical, social or spiritual differences as well as ideology, class, ethnicity among others.
Dr. Musah said in an attempt to set minimum ethical standards to guard against hate speech and propaganda, ECOWAS was not oblivious to the fact that a plethora of standards and rules guide the practice of regional and national associations in the field of the media.
"We also recognise the enormous influence that the Media has wielded in efforts to enthrone good governance, prevent and mitigate conflicts in the region," he added.