The country was ranked 27th in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index report, as against 23rd last year.
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Ghana drops four places in 2019 World Press Freedom Index
Ghana has dropped four places in the latest World Press Freedom Index, losing its status as Africa’s best ranked country when it comes to press freedom.
Ghana drops four places in 2019 World Press Freedom Index
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The report, prepared by Reporters Without Borders, cited the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale has a major blow to press freedom in Ghana.
The Tiger Eye PI member was shot dead earlier this year at Madina while on his way home.
“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.”
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The report also attributed Ghana’s slip to the numerous cases of police brutalities against journalists which were recorded in 2018.
“Journalists are rarely arrested but several were attacked with impunity in 2018, in some cases by police officers.
“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,” it added.
Meanwhile, Namibia and Cape Verde are the top two when it comes to the African league at 23rd and 25th respectively.
Norway ranks, though, was ranked the first when it comes to press freedom worldwide.
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