Communication between State Institutions and Their Publics: A Study of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)

Abstract

This study investigated how state institutions in Ghana communicate with their publics, using the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) as a reference point. In a survey, the researcher sampled 150 respondents, comprising 100 respondents from the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, with the other 50 made up of persons who had filed complaints with the Commission at its head office in Accra. Underpinned by the media richness and systems theories, the study revealed that CHRAJ had been communicating with its external publics using mainly the traditional media, with radio being the most dominant and preferred medium. The study also found that the Commission had feedback mechanisms (such as letters, visits, and telephone) in place to allow its external publics, especially complainants, to keep abreast of happenings within the Commission. The results also gave an indication that the Commission had been practising an open system, as the various communication channels allowed the external publics to access information without much difficulty. The Commission was, therefore, rated highly by its external publics.