Encoding a message and sending it to someone who can decode it is what communication is. But then, the most important part of communication is that the person on the other end can understand what is being said. Communication experts say that there hasn’t been any communication if this isn’t the case. Communication has changed a lot over the years, mostly because times have changed and technology has gotten better. In the past, our ancestors used traditional tools to talk with each other. Then, as technology improved, it moved on to more mechanical or analog ways, such as radio and broadcast. Communication has changed a lot since digital technology and new media have become popular.
It is important to remember that not only did tools and technology change, but so did people. People have changed from being passive and “gullible” audiences to being very active and interactive in how they take in media messages. Because of this, people must be persuaded through communication by using science and strategies. Over time, the media and marketing have grown to understand this phenomenon.
These are the tactics used by the media to transmit persuasive messages in order to elicit specific responses from the audience. Marketing professionals use similar methods to entice prospective customers. In the end, the messages must be appealing to the recipient. It will either appeal to your emotions or force you to engage in some cognitive activity.
Some of those tactics would undoubtedly be required by the government in order to communicate with the public. Because electorates are large, diverse, and divided, government communication must account for all of these qualities in order to craft a powerful convincing message. However, how has the administration performed in this regard?
Persuading Ghanaians to accept and utilize innovations and programs, particularly the Covid-19 vaccinations. How has the government communicated issues about the Ghana Card and Sim card registration? Is their communication effective in influencing Ghanaians?
According to the statistics, many subscribers have ignored the regulatory exercise, and the company will have no choice but to disconnect these people after the deadline, saying: “We need a lot of energy around SIM reregistration so that we don’t disconnect our customers.” Selorm Adadevoh, the CEO of MTN Ghana, made the announcement during a media and stakeholder engagement in Kumasi some months ago.
The SIM reregistration process began in October 2021 and was scheduled to end on March 31, 2022; however, the deadline was extended to July 31, 2022. The deadline extension was intended to allow those who did not already have a Ghana card to obtain one, which is a basic requirement for the reregistration process.
On July 31, the deadline was extended once again to September 31. Once again, the registration centres are dry. People are not enthused about registering their sim cards. Despite the serious repercussions trumpeted by the minister for communication and digitization. She mentioned that after the deadline subscribers who failed to register will be barred from accessing other services including phone calls, and data services. It will also be more expensive to use unregistered sims. But apparently, a chunk of the Ghanaian population belongs to the “stubborn academy”.
FEAR AS A PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION TOOL
Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman proposed a theory regarding the five filters that media products pass through before being broadcast to the public. They include ownership, advertising, information source, flak, and anticommunism or terror. With the media serving as the government’s information conduit, I believe, based on my limited experience in mass communication and evidence, that the use of fear was used to induce people to either take the vaccines or register their sim cards with the Ghana card. When individuals recognize they are being threatened, it is only natural for them to rebel. When fear is overused as a tactic to persuade someone to do something, it loses its effectiveness. Perhaps this explains the E-low Levy’s acceptability.
The government has not done an adequate job of promoting the benefits of tying the sim card to the Ghana card. In light of the numerous inquiries and lackluster attitude of the public, the administration is expected to increase communication regarding the initiative’s benefits.
Recently, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia alleged that over GH400 million had been wasted due to ghost identities on the Social Security and National Insurance Trust SSNIT pension plan and the National Service Scheme. SSNIT revealed almost 27,000 ghost pensioners, while the NSS revealed 14,000 ghost names. The country has paid 400 million cedis as a result of this. The Ghana card provides each citizen with a unique identity, reducing this threat and saving Ghana money. In terms of security, this will be beneficial for biometric identification of potential perpetrators. If there are actually a plethora of benefits like this, the government needs to reconsider their communication strategy.
Mawuli Kodzo Apreku
