There is a rise of indecent expressions on the country’s radio.

This is according to a report by the Media Foundation For West Africa (MFWA).

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

The data for the report was collected from Friday, 7 to Saturday, 30 June 2024 and it specifically cites the number of indecent expressions recorded, categorises these expressions, and identifies the individuals who made the remarks.

Over the monitoring period from June 7 to June 30, 2024, MFWA observed over 500 radio programmes across nine selected radio stations.

The findings revealed a disturbing 46 incidents of indecent expressions, with the majority 54.4 per cent related to discussions on elections, security, corruption, and development projects.

Issues related to the presidency also saw significant instances of indecent language 8.7% per cent.

The report emphasises that these toxic narratives fuel polarisation along partisan, ethnic, religious, and chieftaincy lines, posing a serious risk to the nation’s peace.

“Electioneering periods in Ghana are often characterised by the use of abusive and other indecent expressions against political opponents, institutions and other groups,” the report noted.

It raised concerns about the role of radio stations in this growing issue.

“A number of radio stations allow political parties and their representatives to abuse the airwaves with little or no restraint from programme hosts and presenters. This often results in heightened political tension in the country every four years,” the report highlighted.

The decline in country’s peace rankings, as seen in the 2023 Global Peace Index (GPI), further underscores the urgency of addressing this issue. Ghana fell to the 51st position globally, 4th in Africa, and 2nd in West Africa, marking a significant drop from previous years.

The MFWA attributed this fall to various factors, including the proliferation of hate speech and misinformation.

In response to these alarming trends, the MFWA has been implementing the language monitoring project since 2012, aiming to curb the use of hate speech and indecent expressions on radio.

“Based on lessons learnt from the 2012, 2016, and 2020 language monitoring projects, the MFWA is monitoring indecent language on radio during the 2024 electioneering period to contribute to strengthening Ghana’s peace and democratic stability,” the report added.