The Communications and Media Studies Students’ Association of Ghana (COMSSA) has held a seminar at the School of Creative Art (SCA) Theatre, Central Campus of University of Education, Winneba, focusing on the theme “The Role of Communication in Deepening Our Democracy.”
The event marking part of annual celebration for the year 2025, brought together lecturers, policymakers, media professionals, and students to discuss the effectiveness of communication in fostering democratic growth.
The keynote speaker for the event was delivered by , Samson Lardy Anyenini Esq., a prominent legal and media personality, describe Ghana’s democracy as a political high jacking space by the duopoly the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Nee Patriotic Party (NPP) saying; “democracy is not a party machinery and does not belong to the political elites but our inheritance”
He further added that effective communication must call out endemic corruption “we cannot be silent, corruption is bleeding our nation, robbing us of schools, hospitals and infrastructure”.
Still on corruption, Anyenini referred to the 2024 Auditor General’s report as failing to communicate effectively.
He claimed, as an example that GHC18.41 billion has been lost to irregularities such as thievery and misuse of funds and resources and has established that majority of the funds are be retrievable.
He urged media educators, practitioners and future communicators to use their voices to demand that appointments into public institutions should be based on competence and integrity and not party loyalty.
Touching on several ways to effective communication, Anyenini accused the media of failing to ensure sustained accountability, saying “Communication must ensure sustained accountability not flash in the pan commentary, which the media is very guilty of”.
Admonished the media to stop moving from one scandal to another without closure “we must follow up, demand reports and keep issues in the public domain until justice prevails“ He said.
On his part, the Dean of School of Communication and Media Studies, University of Education, Winneba (SCMS-UEW), Professor Albert Wornyo charged the participants to strive through our politicized democracy.
He said “despite the challenges with how our country has become polarized between these two major political parties making it difficult to fight corruption we (media) still have a role to play”.
Stressing that knowledge is the first step to responsible communication, “let us start from the knowledge, lets know what the facts are, what the truth is and let us check and make sure what we are putting out is responsible communication and journalism” He quipped.
The general discussion centered on the media’s responsibility in promoting good governance, the importance of ethical journalism and the role of citizens in engaging with democratic processes through informed communication.
The event concluded with a call to action for media practitioners and students to uphold integrity and innovation in their work.
