Some hosts of radio programmes themselves have been directly involved in the use of indecent expressions.

This was contained in a recent report by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) which uncovered significant lapses in the moderation of radio programmes in Ghana,

The findings came from a language monitoring project conducted from June 7 to June 30, 2024, which assessed over 500 radio programmes across nine selected stations.

The report highlights that moderators or hosts are not only responsible for managing their programmes but also ensuring that hate speech and other indecent expressions are not aired.

Disturbingly, the MFWA found that some moderators were culpable of these very violations.

“Findings from the period under review show that some moderators directly engaged in the use of indecent expressions,” the report stated.

In light of these findings, the MFWA has issued several recommendations to improve the situation including: “Professionalism: Radio stations, particularly presenters and moderators, should maintain professionalism by refraining from indecent expressions and ensuring that their guests adhere to respectful, fact-based discussions.

“Ground Rules: Programme moderators should establish and enforce clear ground rules for their shows to maintain decorum”.

Also, with regards to Regulatory Enhancement, the MFWA recommended: “The National Media Commission (NMC), the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) need to enhance regulatory and self-regulatory mechanisms to improve media professionalism.

“Political Accountability: Political party leaders should urge their representatives, affiliates, and communicators to refrain from using toxic narratives and indecent expressions.

The report underscored the increasing use of hate speech and toxic narratives that threaten the nation’s democratic stability and peace.

It added: “The data collected specifically cites the number of indecent expressions recorded, categorizes these expressions, and identifies the individuals who made the remarks."