Vibrant and safe media landscape in Ghana: Reality or mirage?

Abstract

Despite widespread condemnation of assaults on journalists in Ghana and elsewhere in the past, there is increasing evidence of brutality against journalists. When perpetrators of such assaults go unpunished, it fosters a culture of impunity. The article throws searchlight on incidences of assaults on journalists and the ambivalent attitude of the public and/or state agencies towards media freedom. Incidences of assaults and intimidations of journalists in Ghana were reviewed to ignite renewed discourse on the issue, and inform measures on the safety and protection and general development of media. Theoretically, the article is framed along lines of thoughts on concepts of narrative in which there is ‘struggle over narrative’. Major lines of narratives on assaults against journalists are expressed by state functionaries, citizens and the media in competing fashions. Each narrative has ‘competing truth’, which arguably carries for each entity a force of the true and rightful position on the safety of journalists. The article concludes that persistent advocacy by Ghana Journalists Association and media partners can make a difference in influencing positive steps on assaults on journalists.

The erosion of media freedom in Ghana: A signal democratic backsliding?

“…Yet the media space in Ghana is gradually becoming unsafe for journalists because of the attacks and intimidation on them, the evidence of which we document below. This can cow journalists committed to accountability reporting into silence; yet this is part of responsible journalism, which cannot be detached ‘from writing stories deemed critical and controversial’ (Diedong, 2020: 164). Therefore, if legislations and security agencies are used against critical media practitioners in a country, as it is beginning to happen in Ghana, this will have far-reaching negative implications for democracy (Jatula, 2019).…”

“…These studies have focused on various aspects of the media including the media and democracy (Dzisah, 2008), the repeal of the criminal libel and seditious laws (Asamoah et al, 2014), journalism aid (Tietaah et al, 2018), the law and media (Karikari and Kumado, 2000), media and election (Braimah, 2017;Temin and Smith, 2002), the press and political culture (Nyarko and Akpojivi, 2017) as well as social media and politics (Dzisah, 2018). Apart from a few recent studies on the safety of journalists (Alhassan et al, 2019;Diedong, 2020;Nyarko & Akpojivi, 2017), scholarly works have mainly looked at the positive side of the media. However, to date, few studies exist questioning why the recent cases of intimidation, unchecked violence, assaults and attacks continue despite the presence of laws that protect the media freedom in Ghana. This article contributes to the literature on media freedom and democracy in Ghana by exploring this relatively under-investigated aspect of the Ghanaian media.…”