NMC MEMBERS TO INTERACT WITH STATE-OWNED MEDIA

THE National Media Commission (NMC) is to embark on a working tour of all state-owned media organisations by the middle of this month.
The visits are to afford members of the commission the opportunity to interact with the editors and staff of state-owned media organisations on their challenges in complying with the guidelines of the NMC, particularly the “Guidelines for the Fair and Equitable Coverage of Political Parties by the State-Owned Media”.
The Chairman of the NMC, Mr Paul Adu-Gyamfi, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the visits were part of the NMC’s plans on monitoring how media practitioners adhered to the guidelines and the challenges they faced.
They were also to ensure that the guidelines were adhered to, even as Election Day approached.
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said the stage was now set for the political parties to fully campaign, saying it was the time when they were likely to complain about fairness or balance of coverage, hence the timeliness of the guidelines.
He said it was in the interest of all state-owned media practitioners not only to have a copy of the guidelines, be conversant with them and refer to them in situations where political parties complained of unfairness and inequitable coverage, but also sensitise their staff to the guidelines
Mr Adu-Gyamfi said compliance by the public media would be an example for the private media and form the basis for the NMC to point out lapses to the private media.
30/10/08
DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008