Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Media (radio broadcast) is a responsible agent of and for lingual “between-ness” which acts as a bridge between the electorates in democratic spaces through mobilization, the sharing of information, and educating the electorates on issues relating to their national discourses as well as democratic dispensations. This critical responsible role of the media’s (radio) “between-ness” only becomes effective in a space where the audience (citizenry) could effectively comprehend the language use by the radio broadcasters. Lack of lingual comprehension of media content subsequently means, the audience could not be comprehensively educated nor participate fully in the national democratic dispensations as the media loses its responsibility as socio-cultural and political “between-er. “ Contrary, the Ghanaian media (radio broadcasters or radio talk-shows) has placed less importance on the media’s responsibility as an agent of social “between-ner” due the consistency in interlacing local language (Akan) with English language for audience whose majority could hardly understand the interlaced English words. An example is this hybrid: (Exoneration no, eye veil propaganda anaa se sen?) Many of the audiences like my own mother with no formal education; does not understand the words - exoneration, - propaganda, - and vile. This study uses media theories, media studies concepts, and news content analysis to establish the extent of media “between-ner” responsibility role abuses on the Ghanaian local language radio. This study results could be used by policy makers to ensure effective participation by the audience in similar spaces.