The
word parliament comes from "parlement" - a word in Norman French
meaning a conversation or a "talking". In written European
records, it has been used for more than 800 years to describe gatherings to
talk about affairs of state. By tradition, opposing parties sat two
swords length apart. They had to resolve their differences with words, not
weapons. Parliament, therefore, is all about words, arguments, and debates.
The parliamentary reporter has the special responsibility of reporting those debates
to the public. Parliaments make and modify the laws of the land. In most
parliamentary systems, the executive needs the support of parliament to stay in
power. A vote of no confidence in the government will usually cause it to
fall. Parliament is also an important stage for the testing of arguments.
And as with any stage, it can throw up moments of great drama. The
parliamentary reporter witnesses, summarises and reflects all of this to the
public. And if, for whatever reason, parliament becomes impotent, it is
just as important to reflect that.
The mass media play a very important
role in reporting on parliament. This is because most times they are key
determinants in the formulation of opinions on matters of public interest. Therefore
to cover parliament, a journalist needs to know local laws, understand
parliamentary procedure, know about the politicians and the political parties
involved, as well as have a solid knowledge of history. Unlike straight news
reporting which is a timely report on an event, parliamentary reporting usually
requires sufficient background knowledge to make sense of proceedings. This is
because the parliamentary reporter or correspondent is expected to
provide adequate context and analysis as well as being able to put
developments into perspective.
Provision of freedom of the press
and of expression in the 1992 constitution of Ghana; have strengthened the
media to report on political and social life all together with parliament. This
has enabled the media to bring to bear the weaknesses and lapses of a
democratic system, then creating the opportunity for adjustments. Nevertheless
according to the World Bank Institute, freedom of the press should not be regarded
simply as freedom of the journalist, editors as well as owners of press houses
to report and comment on issues. To a certain extent it should be seen as an
embodiment of the public’s right to know and to participate in the free flow of
information. Ghana’s transition from
single party to multi-party politics has livened up debate in Parliament a
great deal. Members now go to the House prepared to make meaningful
contribution to the debate of the day. Ghana is however still evolving to
pluralism and democracy so there is still a major tendency among Members of
Parliament and Ghanaians generally, to view those on the opposite side of the
political divide as enemies, rather than as partners in development. The media,
being a part of society, must encourage the plurality of ideas and inform the
public on the debates that takes place in parliament, as Ghanaians continue to
define their future. This is so that multi-party system does not become
synonymous with hatred tension and violence, but instead, represents the accommodation of divergent
views and the building of consensus.
In determining what stories to
report or cover, reporters need to adopt simplifying assumptions about the
nature of politics in different kinds of settings. This according to Blumer and
Gurevitch, 1987 discovered that, news content is highly patterned and
government officials and authorities such as members of parliament are more
likely than other political actors to be given a voice by reporters. Parliament acquires materials for debate
from the media of which the media also carry the expressions, grievances, needs
of the people and how public policies affect them. The media also keep people
informed about happenings in parliament. This function of these institutions
explains to what extent the relationship between the media and parliament ought
to be one of understanding, mutual respect, and tolerance. However, such ideal
has always not been the case as parliamentary debates though a serious business
of state, sometimes turn up great moments of drama for some reasons.
The media, in reporting on
parliament, should take into account issues that affect or promote an
efficient, fair, balanced, and accurate reportage with the aim of achieving an
informed democracy. The reporter should always follow the normal rules of news
reporting and presentation and bear in mind the importance of getting it right. At the most obvious level, check sentences, spellings,
titles, party allegiances, among others. But it is equally important to
quote people correctly and summaries their arguments fairly. This will
enable the public to make up their minds about the big issues of the day partly
informed by what they read and hear and see in the media. The public
should be able to understand every word and every sentence without possibility
of confusion. This implies simplicity and unambiguity. Words
must be chosen carefully to eliminate any possibility of misunderstanding.
Walter Lippmann (1992), in his book
‘Public Opinion’, stated that, “opinion is not shaped by direct experiences of
politics but through the images planted in our minds by news accounts.
Nonetheless, acting in keen competition with one another, media organizations
and journalists manage to represent the political world with images that are
both standardized and believable enough to become the basis of public political
debates and for individual participation in political life.
Politicians
always want to be presented in the best possible light. They will brief
journalists to try to influence the way something is reported. Therefore the
parliamentary reporter should be open-minded and determined to give fair
treatment to all the arguments him or her witnesses, without interference of
views. This is particularly true in reporting political controversy. It
is not for the parliamentary reporter to decide which argument is the
strongest. Instead, the good reporter lays out all the arguments, fairly
and accurately, and lets the public decide.
Journalists
have always been an integral part of parliament. They act as the eyes and ears
of the public who are unable to witness parliamentary proceedings. The media,
being a part of society must encourage the plurality of ideas and inform the
public on the continuing debate as societies continue to define their future.
Reporting on parliament remains only the true test of good journalism. This is
because journalists are always under great pressure to report the proceedings’
of the house with accuracy and fairness.
Parliamentary proceedings can
sometimes be dull, but they are important. However, the onus lies on the
reporter to engage interest in the opening lines on the story. The public feels
discontent when parliament falls short of their expectations based on criticism
and biased opinionated reportage conveyed to them by the media. Therefore, the
media should be very objective in their reportage and be able to withstand any
form of influence from parliamentarians whose interest is in influence journalist
to promote their cause. Reporting in parliament is a highly specialized knowledge
intensive job carried out under great pressure and completed within a fixed
time-frame. Needles to say, physical stamina, mental alertness and quick
reflexes are the essential attributes of a reporter’s job, without which he
cannot deal with situations like the one which usually prevails in parliament. Journalists should recognize parliamentary
reporting as an opening into the wider arena of coverage of political events.
Sound knowledge of parliamentary procedure and Standing Orders is valuable for
good coverage of debate in Parliament. A journalist who combines this knowledge
with good writing skills is well on the way to making a professional break
through as a respected political writer.
Since
parliament has the power to impose order through means such as contempt of
parliament, the media needs to know all the rules in parliament because;
arbitrary use of power could have consequences on parliamentary reporting.
In countries like The Gambia and
Zimbabwe, governments have full control of the media, denying them freedom of
expression. In Ghana, the media do not cover parliamentary select committees
unless on authorization, which doesn’t even occur often. This means that the
media will only have access to parliament only on grants. In all, parliament is
regarded as a sovereign institution and possesses powers that limit access to
it as a source of news in growing democratic countries. However, in South
Africa, committees are opened to the media and the public except in rare cases
where evidence has to be taken. Reporters and parliamentarians need capacity
building in order to have an enhanced understanding of their roles and
appreciation of their limits of their powers. Debates should be conducted in a
respectful manner in parliament while media conduct themselves professionally
by abiding to their professional codes of conduct by pursuing objective and
quality reporting also guided by good morals and conscience. All said, the media must help in bringing
parliamentary debates to the public domain through examination and analysis of
the facts that define the socio-economic framework in which Parliament
functions and legislates.
