Editorial (The Daily Searchlight, Thursday, 5th May, 2022)
Ghana has dropped 30 places on the 2022 World Press Freedom index.
The 2022 index put together by campaign group, Reporters Without Borders, saw Ghana ranking 60 after placing 30 in 2022.
This is Ghana’s lowest-ever ranking in 17 years after it ranked 66th and 67th in 2005 and 2002 respectively.
The latest report is out of 180 countries assessed with Ghana recording a decline in its indicative points from 78.67 percent to 67.43 compared to last year.
It said although the country is considered a regional leader in democratic stability, journalists have experienced growing pressures in recent years.
“To protect their jobs and their security, they increasingly resort to self-censorship, as the government shows itself intolerant of criticism”, the report mentioned.
According to Reporters Without Borders, the safety of Ghanaian journalists has deteriorated sharply in recent years.
For example, the campaigners said in 2020, reporters covering the effectiveness of anti-COVID-19 measures were attacked by security forces.
The Daily Searchlight is of the firm belief that government, regulators, the police, the media and watchers of press freedom and free speech should all give the latest raking very serious consideration,
Although varied reasons have been proffered for the latest ranking, we believe firmly that the bottom line is that Ghana has not done well, and is symbolically a nation that represses media and free speech.
We believe that it is necessary that we go back to work to see how we can improve our international image and rise back up the ranking. That can only happen if we improve our levels of tolerance for contrary opinion.
We hope that all stakeholders would agree to work together, and that we would do much better in the rankings next year.
