Ghana’s deteriorating performance on the World Press Freedom Index is being driven largely by the harsh economic conditions facing journalists, according to the President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour. Speaking during a courtesy call on Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin last Tuesday, Mr Dwumfour noted that since 2019, economic indicators have become a major yardstick for measuring press freedom globally, making better salaries and improved conditions of service crucial to restoring Ghana’s standing. The country, which once ranked between first and third in Africa, now sits fourth on the continent and eighth globally. He therefore appealed to Parliament to back a Private Member’s Bill that would legally guarantee better welfare for media practitioners, stressing that the GJA and its partners are ready to sponsor the legislation.
In response, Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin described journalism as an essential public service that should not be treated as a mere private business, since its products are critical public goods vital to democratic governance. He condemned attacks on journalists and assured the Association that Parliament’s Drafting Department would support the drafting of the bill, noting that improving the lot of journalists is necessary to safeguard democracy, as the press remains the oxygen of society and governance.
