The State Broadcaster, GTV allocated more airtime to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in its coverage of the 2020 polls, the EU’s Election Observation Missions’ (EOMs) final report on the 2020 election has said.
According to the report, 26.2 percent of airtime on election-related news programmes focused on activities of the NPP while 15.8 percent was allocated to the opposition National Democratic Congress.
“GBC, overall, provided fair opportunity to all political contestants through various programmes aired by both GTV and Uniiq FM.74 Nevertheless, the EU EOM’s media monitoring findings show that GTV favoured the NPP by allocating it 26.2 per cent of airtime in its election-related news and programmes, compared to 15.8 per cent allocated to the NDC. Furthermore, the NPP and its presidential candidate benefited from extensive additional coverage on GTV (22.1 per cent of airtime) through news and live broadcasts of inaugurations and projects launched by the President or government representatives, often including campaign songs and messages. Focusing only on the coverage received by presidential candidates, the difference of airtime is slightly higher, with Nana Akufo-Addo receiving 33 per cent and John Mahama receiving 19.1 per cent of airtime in the state-owned TV. The tone of GTV’s reports, however, was generally neutral,” excerpts of the report read.
Source: GhanaFeed.com
