Friday, 05 December

Ghana's media ecosystem at risk: Sulemana Braimah calls for stronger ties with security agencies

General News
Sulemana Braimah

 The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Mr Sulemana Braimah, has emphasised the urgent need for stronger collaboration between the Ghanaian media and security agencies to prevent attacks on journalists and protect press freedom.

Speaking at a Media-Security Dialogue, Mr Braimah noted that the lack of structured interaction between the two sectors has created a persistent disconnect, resulting in security personnel consistently emerging as leading perpetrators of violations against journalists.

"Despite Ghana's vibrant and pluralistic media landscape, recent years have seen worrying declines in press freedom rankings and a rise in attacks on journalists by state actors," Braimah stated.

"This disconnect, if allowed to persist, will always come at a cost.

It undermines mutual trust and weakens the media's ability to help the public understand matters of significant importance."

According to data from MFWA, Ghana recorded 87 media and expression violations between January 2020 and November 2025, with security agencies responsible for 34 of them, and only seven received any form of redress.

Mr Braimah urged security agencies to view the media as partners, rather than adversaries, in promoting national stability, accountability, and democratic governance.

Dora Boamah Mawutor, a Programme Manager at MFWA, called for stiffer sanctions for perpetrators and deeper collaboration between the media and security agencies to improve safety and accountability.

The Media-Security Dialogue aimed to strengthen collaboration between the media and security agencies, with the goal of promoting a safer and more enabling environment for journalists to operate in Ghana.

Source: Classfmonline.com/Edem Afanou