SECTOR 2 With respect to religion, although there is Christian or Islam-related media, on average, coverage that fully reflects and embraces Ghana’s religious diversity is lacking. In most mainstream media, the voices of religious minorities are silenced or completely ignored. “If within a certain defined space, Islamic and Christian clerics spoke, most media would focus on the Christian views. For example, some years ago, there was a debate on religion in schools. The Islamic Federation held several press conferences on this topic, and the Christians didn’t speak as much. But in the end, the media slant was definitely pro-Christian.” In terms of geography, there are many more private media houses, particularly radio broadcasting stations, in the regions, and media are no longer only concentrated in Accra. To a large degree, this has given voice to a demographic beyond the capital. “Community radio stations are also springing up,” creating the space for more diverse views across various platforms to be heard. That said, the Southern region still dominates. “Ghanaian media generally covers northern Ghana the way BBC [British Broadcasting Cooperation] covers Africa.” Panellists noted concerns and complaints raised about the way in which the media have covered the Bimbilla issue.1 “When they cover the north, it’s covered in such an exaggerated or extreme way[s], which reinforces stereotypes.” When it comes to language and ethnicity, while it was noted that statistically more Ghanaians speak Akan than any other local language, panellists also acknowledged that there is a need to move beyond the population debate, and to make a greater effort towards ensuring the representation of minority groups. “I have never seen a programme or paper that portrays the Fulani in Ghanaian media in a good light.” “We need to start challenging our personal assumptions.” Much remains to be done in truly capturing Ghana’s diversity, even, e.g., in its music. “In terms of music, art and culture, if you travel in northern Ghana, you’ll find some of the most beautiful authentic rhythms. But you never hear these in mainstream media.” “The media has reduced Ghanaian culture to a small representation regarding music, food, and so forth.” Greater effort needs to be made in respecting Ghana’s ethnic and linguistic diversity, one example is simply in the pronunciation of names from smaller ethnic groups. “The way we mention a northern name or an Ewe name wrongly! If such 1 On the 9th February 2017, two days before the AMB, 11 people died over a chieftaincy conflict in Bimbilla, a small town and the capital of Nanumba North district, a district in the Northern Region of north Ghana. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GHANA 2017 35