TELEVISION TALK SHOWS IN GHANA

Television has become a very popular phenomenon in Ghana. Not only is there a national broadcaster, there are several private television stations as well. There is the free to view and pay per view. I guess the popularity of television has led to the popularity of talk shows.

Talk shows have flooded the screens of all televisions in Ghana. They range from morning talk shows to midday shows and there are those held in the evenings. The subjects for these talk shows vary. They include politics, relationships, fashion, entertainment and religion.

I really enjoy listening to these talk shows as most of them are very educative, entertaining and informative. My problem is mostly with the political talk shows.

Most of these political talk shows are very biased as only representatives of the two major political parties are invited to air their views. The Ghana I know is made up of more than two political parties, therefore inviting just two parties to speak about their ideologies I think is not representative enough.

Most often, the panelists of these political talk shows are jack of all trades and master of none. They speak on all issues ranging from health, education, finance, agriculture, gender etc. They speak on these issues from fields where they do not have much knowledge.

Despite the fact that most producers of these political talk shows are biased in selecting their panelists, there are a few who make sure that all sides of an issue are brought to light by inviting all the parties involved. They also do well by inviting experts in the field of the subject under discussion.       

Perspective:The Bias Nature of Political Talk Shows in Ghana.