Ghana: The Double-bind of Media Freedom

Abstract

Ghana’s 1992 constitution provides guarantees for press freedom with little, if any, interference from the state. However, the Ghanaian media operate in a double bind, meaning the media do not generally respect the legitimate regulatory regime of the industry, neither are they willing to adhere to rules of self-regulation. This chapter examines existing and potential media accountability instruments (MAIs) in Ghana as well as the challenges and prospects of such instruments. The analysis reveals that the media landscape in Ghana has nurtured and established just a few MAIs, which include the National Media Commission and the ethical codes of journalists’ and media associations. Efforts to improve media self-regulation continues to occur outside the mass media, in online media criticism (social media) and political critique. There is still a fundamental challenge regarding the capacity of the existing and emerging MAIs to exact accountability from journalists in Ghana.