Public Perception of Stakeholder Campaigns Against Illegal Gold Mining in Ghana: The Case of Media Coalition Against Galamsey

Abstract

This paper examined stakeholder campaigns against illegal gold mining in Ghana, focusing on public perception on the activities of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey (MCAG), a group led by the media and other stakeholders to champion action against illegal mining. The campaigns were necessitated by the devastating and life-threatening effect of illegal mining in Ghana, and the urgent need to eradicate it. The agenda-setting theory grounded this study in a positivist research paradigm that surveyed and analyzed data from 347 Ghanaian respondents, using percentages, means, standard deviation and one-way ANOVA to present findings. The study discovered that relevant state agencies and authorities had not shown enough interest and commitment in fighting illegal mining in Ghana. Respondents were of the view that Ghana had failed to provide adequate regulatory and legal frameworks and the required political, religious and traditional leadership to effectively combat the menace. Though the Coalition was effective in using public sensitization, advocacy and visual communication strategies to campaign against illegal mining, it was less effective in employing stakeholder engagement, community mobilization, entertainment education and social marketing techniques. The Coalition is encouraged to continue the campaign by aggressively adopting more socially responsive and rewarding communication strategies in its sensitization activities. Finally, it is recommended that political, religious and traditional leaders at all levels go beyond the rhetoric and set national agendas to effectively confront the menace.