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Social media activism among the youth has been on the increase in Ghana and Africa. In the context of Ghana, the article interrogates the level of involvement of social media and its use by the youth as they relate to freedom of expression; participation in elections; socialization and job opportunities; and the devices used to connect to the internet. This study applied the survey method that randomly sampled 9024 youth across ten geopolitical regions of Ghana. It analysed data using both positivist and contextual analytic lenses after critiquing the relevant literature. The critiques teased out the key questions investigated with findings and discussions providing nuanced outcomes. It emerged that social media promotes freedom of expression and participation in elections; social relations and job opportunities among the youth in Ghana. The findings also reveal a certain paradox of social media and youth involvement in sociopolitical affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There seems to be little knowledge and awareness of the relevance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among communities in Ghana. The study's main objective was to find out how the 22-member Community Radio (CR) stations of the Ghana Community Radio Network (GCRN) - the umbrella organisation of community radio in Ghana, mobilise their communities to tackle development needs and aspirations within the framework of the SDG 1 to 6. The study employed a qualitative research design. Specifically, a case study approach was adopted. CR stations' mission is to promote community development in a participatory manner. The expectation is that CR stations would facilitate efforts to tackle development needs and aspirations of communities within the framework of the SDGs. The study found out that even though the application of the participatory communication methodology is central to the work of CR stations, particularly increasing community members' awareness and understanding of the broad meanings of particularly SDG goals 1 to 6, they were unable to sustainably employ the methodology because of resource constraints. The implication is that CR stations need to devise innovative ways of raising resources to enable community members actively participate in radio programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the linguistic devices, approaches and styles in media discourse that are used to stake claims to knowledge, to influence attitudes and to promote critical thinking, among other functional roles of language. The study was equally interested in knowing the outcomes of the choice of these linguistic devices as far as communication is concerned. Linguistic devices such as modality, evaluative adjectives, adverbs, generic phrases, rhetoric and idioms among others, are used to state opinions, make predictions and influence attitudes. The study hypothesises that the study of language can be used in particular ways, so intended by the user, to achieve specific purposes. Eight different newspapers: The Daily Graphic, The Ghanaian Times, The Mirror, The Crusading Guide, The Insight, The Independent, The Catholic Standard and The Daily Guide, editorial excerpts were culled and used for the study of language use in newspaper editorials. The styles used and the reasons behind the choice of those devices and styles are closely looked at in the analysis. With Systemic Functional Linguistics, complemented with Van-Dijk's theory of Media Discourse as models of analysis, the study is theoretically anchored. The study concludes that editorial writers use linguistic devices to express different shades of attitude and opinion, to influence, shape or re-shape their readers' attitudes and to promote critical thinking of readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines community radio as a channel for development through people's participation in development activities in the Fanteakwa District of Ghana. The study argues that participation of people is necessary for development. The study employed the concept of participatory development communication and the empowerment theory to help understand the role of community radio in development. Mixed method research design was used for the study. Data was collected through survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling and multi-stage sampling techniques were used to select respondents. It was found that participation is highest amongst people whose preferred channel of contribution to development initiatives is Radio Listenership Clubs. Though community radio station is serving the community, more needs to be done to properly integrate it into the lives of the people. Another finding was that community radio is not necessarily owned by the community, but can be the result of an individual's entrepreneurial effort. It is concluded that the integration of participatory approaches in radio programming and ownership is relevant because they are more people-centred and can be sustainable. A legislation on community broadcasting is recommended in order to define the role of individual entrepreneurs and NGO's in establishing community radio stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the safety of journalists in Ghana can no longer be taken for granted given the available evidence of physical attacks on journalists (Joint Statement NMC et al., 2016 and MFWA, 2016). The overarching objective of the study is to portray Donkor’s case as typical of similar cases in Ghana and beyond and highlight the implications of attacks on journalists. In the past decade or so, physical attacks on journalist have been the most prevalent form of violation against journalists in Ghana. In this paper, a single case study of Donkor is examined together with relevant documents as the tip of an iceberg to demonstrate and paint a picture of the harrowing and degrading experience of physical and other forms of attacks against journalists in Ghana and its implications for safeguarding press freedom and the fundamental human rights of people. The incidence of attacks against journalists and how such perpetrators often go unpunished, though not a phenomenon peculiar only to Ghana, needs an examination given the latitude of freedom of the media guaranteed in the 1992 fourth republican Constitution of Ghana. It is pertinent to ask: how far have stakeholders contributed to the promotion of journalists’ safety as prescribed in UNESCO’s Safety of Journalists Document? While chronicling some instances of actions, which tend to endanger the lives of journalists in the line of duty, the paper concludes that a concerted effort is required to enable journalists, the public, civil society organisations, international organisations and state institutions to initiate strategic actions aimed at tackling the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]