The Ghanaian media’s pioneering role in sustaining multiparty democracy has once again been commended. The experts however say the coverage of post elections issues has been unsatisfactory. Editors are therefore being challenged to encourage a paradigm shift from sensational political issues. To facilitate this, a book, ‘Because Accountability Counts - a Journalist's Guide for covering post-elections in Ghana’ is being distributed to all media houses. The Coordinator of the African Elections Project, which is spearheading the project, Jeremiah Sam said the book directs journalists where to go and what issues to pick on. For example, he said, journalists are directed to visit political party websites and download the manifestos they presented to the people during election campaigns. Whichever party wins the elections, “we pull up theirs (manifesto) and there will be indicators on health, education, all the sectors of the economy and then we follow up [on the promises].” Mr Sam said the project was also seeking to divert attention from divisive politics and personality attacks in the media and focus attention on developmental issues. A lecturer at the School of Communications Studies of the University of Ghana, Dr Audrey Gadzekpo believes the Ghanaian media can do much better if journalists critically apply the guidelines. She said it was worrying that many media houses ignored the many guidelines available. Whiles observing that some media houses were doing well in reportage on post-election issues, the larger majority had continued to perpetrate the same old practices. Source: Joy News/Ghana