In a press statement on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, it said the government is hoping to do this by introducing a Coordinating Mechanism on the Safety of Journalists which will be ready before July 2019.
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World Press Freedom Day: The Ghanaian government has promised to boost the protection of journalists
The government of Ghana through the Ministry of Information has promised to ensure that the safety of journalists is guaranteed and improved as they about their work in the country.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
The statement added that the government is committed to supporting measures that will strengthen press freedom and free expression in the advancement of Ghana’s democracy.
While commending journalists in the country for their contribution to nation building, the Ministry of Information said, “Government is in the process of implementing a Media Capacity Enhancement Programme (MCEP) to boost the capacity of media practitioners in the delivery of their mandate.”
In a recent World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders Ghana dropped from first in Africa to third.
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The drop was attributed mainly to the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale earlier in 2019.
Globally, the country dropped from 23 in 2018 to 27 in 2019.
The celebration of the 2019 World Press Freedom Day is being held in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa on the theme, “Media for Democracy, Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation.”
The Ministry said that “finally, this year’s theme acknowledges the risk of disinformation and thus admonishes an adherence to factual reportage always.”
In Ghana, journalists are rarely arrested unjustly. However, they are often threatened by citizens and in some cases police officers.
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Despite these threats, Ghana is seen as one of the most democratic countries in Africa.
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