Ghana’s enviable press freedom record is being threatened by the incessant assaults and threats on journalists by criminals, political parties’ hooligans as well as security agencies, the Board Member of the Media Foundation for West Africa, Prof. Kwame Karikari, has said.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting with the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) and other civil society organizations in Accra ahead of the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day on Friday, he said that the current development seriously undermined press freedom in Ghana and called on the government to develop practical strategies to nib the canker in the bud.
The Daily Graphic report on Friday quoted the communique issued after the meeting on Thursday as saying that 22 rights of 22 journalists in Ghana were violated from February to March this year.
The report added that 11 of the violations were direct attacks, a phenomenon which has resulted in the country dropping from 23 rd. position as best press freedom country in the world to 27th position in 2019, according to World Press Index by Reporters without Borders.
DAP/GIK/APA