According to the new report from Reporters Without Borders, Ghana now sits at the 50th spot on the 2024 World Press Freedom Index. Ghana has shown significant progress in media freedom, jumping up from 62nd place in the past year. This latest ranking puts Ghana in the top 50 out of the 180 countries assessed in the study.
Ghana has climbed to the 50th position on the World Press Freedom Index 2024, according to a recent report by Reporters Without Borders. This marks a significant improvement from its previous ranking of 62nd place. Ghana’s media freedom advancements have placed it among the top 50 countries out of the 180 evaluated in the study.
Reporters Without Borders highlighted Ghana’s vibrant and diverse media landscape, which includes various platforms like the Joy News channel, Myjoyonline website, and Peace FM radio. However, the report also mentioned challenges, such as a political incident where members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) forcefully entered the studios of UTV in Accra.
Overall, Ghana’s progress in media freedom is commendable, reflecting positive developments in its media environment and pluralistic society.
“Nonetheless, the ruling party wrote to the Despite Media Group, which runs the privately owned United TV channel, in October 2023 requesting the inclusion of one of its members in the TV channel’s broadcasts in order, it said, to ensure balance. ”
Around the world, the research reveals that many political leaders are failing to create an environment that supports journalism and the public’s access to fair and impartial news.
RSF editorial director, Anne Bocandé explained “As more than half the world’s population goes to the polls in 2024, RSF is warning of a worrying trend revealed by the 2024 World Press Freedom Index: a decline in the political indicator, one of five indicators detailed in the Index. States and other political forces are playing a decreasing role in protecting press freedom.”
“This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation.”
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