Chapter 7 In spite of these positive credentials, there is a palpable rise in the frequency with which concern is voiced about the blatant use of abusive language in and by the media. At the 16 th Ghana Journalists' Association(GJA) Awards ceremony, Vice-President John Mahama lamented this state of affairs: '... a cursory look at our media would seem like we are a nation at war. Newspapers and radio stations are lined up in the political trenches with their political allies or paymasters; throwing printed and verbal grenades and taking pot shots at the“enemy lines”.... The recent Wikileaks cables have accentuated the media warfare. 81 Nothing matters any more'. Indeed, in a continent desperate for inspiring examples, these observations and concerns raise important questions about the touted credentials of Ghana as a cocoon of peace and democratic progress. To what extent are the media honouring their constitutional and professional mandate in the advancement of Ghana's politics and democracy? What lessons can the Ghanaian media learn from the experiences of countries that have witnessed politically related conflict and electoral violence? Experiences from Other Countries As the country approaches the December 2012 elections(and with politicians and their supporters making increasingly trenchant comments) the lessons from other countries should provide the media in Ghana(and relevant stakeholders – including regulatory authorities such as the National Media Commission(NMC) and National Communications Authority 81 Speech delivered at the 16 th GJA awards, 9 September 2011 at the Banquet Hall, State House, Accra 220