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Mission Statements, Role of Political Actors in Community Radio Stations: The Ghanaian Experience

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Abstract

This is a study of eleven (11) Ghanaian CR Stations, their mission statements, and the role of local political institutions of chieftaincy and the District Assemblies (DA) in their setting up, activities, programmes and operations. Since mission statements are the raison d’etre for setting up the stations, the study examines them vis-a-vis their resonance with community needs. It also tries to ascertain the role of political institutions of chieftaincy and the District Assemblies in the operations of the stations which serve these communities. It was found that most of the mission statements were development-oriented, aimed at giving voices to their voiceless communities, promoting local cultures and encouraging participation of community members in the programmes and activities of the stations. Through individual interviews of station managers, local chiefs, District Chief Executives (DCEs), local community members and examination of station documents and listening to the stations’ programmes, it was found that the local chiefs and district assemblies had played a pivotal role in the setting up, sustenance and contributing to some of the programmes of the stations and mobilising community support towards attainment of the stations’ missions and objectives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ghana Institute of Journalism, Accra, Ghana

    Mavis Essandoh

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  1. Mavis Essandoh
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Correspondence to Mavis Essandoh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA), North-West University, Mafikeng, South Africa

    Phillip Mpofu

  2. Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA), North-West University, Mafikeng, South Africa

    Israel Ayinla Fadipe

  3. Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA), North-West University, Mafikeng, South Africa

    Thulani Tshabangu

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Essandoh, M. (2023). Mission Statements, Role of Political Actors in Community Radio Stations: The Ghanaian Experience. In: Mpofu, P., Fadipe, I.A., Tshabangu, T. (eds) Indigenous African Language Media. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0305-4_7

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