Ghana ranked 27th in the index, dropping dropping by four notches from last year’s 23rd.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ahmed Suale's murder: Ghana downgraded in world press freedom
Ghana has been downgraded in the latest World Press Freedom Index report by reporters without borders.
Ahmed Suale's murder: Ghana downgraded in world press freedom
Recommended articles
The index, an annual review of 180 countries and their relationship with the media, was released by the Reporters Without Borders, also known as Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), on Thursday.
Norway ranked topmost in the index for the third time in a row.
ADVERTISEMENT
The report cited the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale and several attacks on journalists with "impunity."
"A group of investigative journalists had to spend part of 2018 in hiding after producing a documentary about Ghanaian soccer corruption. A ruling party parliamentarian who had been named in the documentary publicly threatened one of the journalists without ever being sanctioned. The journalist was shot dead in the street a few months later. Journalists are rarely arrested but several were attacked with impunity in 2018, in some cases by police officers," the report noted.
“Although Ghana continues to be seen as one of the most democratic countries in Africa and Chapter 12 of its 1992 constitution guarantees media pluralism and independence, a third of the media are owned by the state or by businessmen linked to the government."
Only 24 percent of the countries analyzed in RSF’s index earned a “satisfactory” or “good” press freedom rating.
ADVERTISEMENT
Namibia topped the African league at 23 with Norway ranking first worldwide while Turkmenistan sat at the bottom at 180.
“If the political debate slides surreptitiously or openly towards a civil war-style atmosphere, in which journalists are treated as scapegoats, then democracy is in great danger,” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “Halting this cycle of fear and intimidation is a matter of the utmost urgency for all people of good will who value the freedoms acquired in the course of history.”
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
Recommended articles
Train accident photo posted on my social media pages is a photoshop - Peter Amewu
Court jails truck driver 6 months for causing Ghana's brand-new train accident
609 Ghanaians died in first 3 months of 2024 through road crashes - NRSA reveals
Joseph Addo files nomination to contest as NPP Parliamentary aspirant for La Dadekotopon
Dumsor: ECG board members reject PURC GH¢5.8m fine
Woman who claims to have been taken to another world by dwarfs shares experience
Organised Labour threatens to strike May 2 over Tier-2 pension arrears
Nana Addo assures he will prioritize the welfare of cocoa farmers
