WHAT PARLIAMENTARY REPORTING IS ALL ABOUT IN GHANA

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.