Stakeholders in Ghana’s media and security sectors are raising fresh concerns about the deteriorating safety of journalists, following new findings that show the country has slipped from the 50th position in 2024 to 52nd in 2025 on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index.
The findings were presented at a media–security dialogue attended by the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, the Ghana Journalists Association, the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana, and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
Senior lecturer at the University of Ghana Department of Communication Studies, Dr Gilbert Tietaah, described the latest ranking as deeply worrying.
While noting the country’s overall score had inched down from 67.71 to 67.13, he stressed that the most significant decline occurred in the security indicator, where Ghana fell sharply from 72nd to 86th place.
“This dramatic 14-place drop signals escalating threats to journalist safety and underscores the urgent need for systematic reforms to protect media practitioners from both state and non-state actors,” he cautioned.
The report highlighted persistent threats, harassment, intimidation, and physical attacks against journalists—now the most common forms of abuse faced by media professionals.
It warned that such incidents are contributing to a more hostile environment for independent journalism.
Speaking on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, Director General of Public Affairs, DCOP Grace Ansah Akrofi, urged journalists to take personal responsibility for their safety.
“Your safety must be paramount at all times. There is a part we, as the police, are mandated to play, but there is also an individual responsibility. Personal safety is something you must take very seriously,” she advised.
Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, noted that the dialogue forms part of wider efforts to address persistent breaches of freedom of expression—many of which, he acknowledged, involve state security actors.
“In the last five years, we have recorded about 87 violations—not only against journalists but also political activists and demonstrators. The ideal situation is to have none, but once violations occur, it is important to work towards remedies, and that is what engagements like this seek to advance,” he said.
As risks to journalists continue to escalate, experts and stakeholders emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between the security services, media organisations, and civil society.
Robust partnerships, they stressed, are essential to safeguarding press freedom and ensuring that journalists can carry out their work without fear or intimidation.
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