The role of the Ghanaian media practitioners Communication and the impact on the LGBTQIAAP Culture

Abstract

The issue of LGBTQIAAP+ has become one of the main social problems that have threatened social cohesion in most part of the world. In Africa, the situation is not different as reports of attacks and rejection of the LGBTQ+ culture have been recorded in most parts of the continent. The objectives of the study were to explore how the media can communicate effectively to the Ghanaian public about LGBTQIAAP+ culture; investigate some communication strategies used by the media and their impact on both the LGBTQIAAP+ community and Ghanaians and also to identify and analyze the challenges facing the media in communicating effectively to the Ghanaian public about the issue of LGBTQIAAP+. The study used the Cass-D’Augelli-Fassinger’s model as the theoretical base since the three are rooted in gay and lesbian identity development. The findings revealed, among other things, that the media plays an important role in communicating the culture of Ghana's LGBTQ+ community. The study also discovered that the media use a variety of strategies in communicating about LGBTQ+ culture, including building journalist capacity and frequently organizing LGBTQ+ media programs. The study also discovered that the media in Ghana can and does play a number of important roles, including acting as a conduit for the dissemination and education of citizens on the culture of LGBTQ+ people in Ghana. The study went further to reveal that there was a communication gap between the media and the LGBTQ+ community which needed to be bridged. The study recommended that the National Media Commission (NMC) and the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) advocate for good journalism and professionalism in this regard.