Ghana has moved from 62nd place in 2023 to 50th in the latest World Press Freedom Index 2024.
The report, which was published by Reporters Without Borders, places Ghana among the top 50 countries out of the 180 included in the study.
The report indicated that Ghana has a vibrant and pluralistic media environment.
It based this finding on the media landscape, legal framework, political situation, economy, safety, and sociocultural context.
The report disclosed that of the five indicators used to compile the ranking, it is the political indicator that has fallen the most, registering a global average fall of 7.6 points.
The report further singled out media platforms such as “the Joy News channel, the Myjoyonline website, and radio Peace FM” as “very popular and reflect a high degree of pluralism and diversity.”
It also recounted the incident where some members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) forcefully invaded the studios of UTV in Accra.
“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. “
At the global level, a growing number of political authorities are not doing their best to ensure a conducive environment for journalism and the public’s right to unbiased news and information, the report added.
“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,” RSF editorial director, Anne Bocandé said
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
