Ghana less safe for journalists – Reporters Without Borders

General News on Friday, April 19th, 2019

Source: Graphic.com.gh

2019-04-19

Ghana has become less secure for journalists and has lost its status as the highest ranked country in Africa, according to a new report by an international press freedom organization.

Reporters Without Borders and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have ranked Ghana 27th out of 180 countries in the world's annual press freedom index.

Ghana lost four of the 23 places it occupied in 2018 because of what RSF described as "insufficient protection for journalists" following the shooting of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale and threats on the lives of members of the Tiger Eye PI investigation group.

According to RSF, the investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his team Tiger EYe spent part of the year 2018 in hiding after producing a documentary on the corruption of Ghanaian football, which resulted in the resignation of the FIFA Council member and former GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi.

Investigative journalist Hussein-Suale, who was shot dead by two suspected gunmen on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 in Accra, was a key member of the Tiger Eye PI infiltration operation that implicated Mr. Nyantakyi in a corruption scandal. The results of the sting were published in a documentary entitled # Number12 on June 6, 2018.

"A member of the ruling party, named in the documentary, publicly threatened one of the journalists without ever being punished.The journalist (Hussein-Suale) was shot dead in the street a few months later," RSF said. .

"Journalists are rarely arrested, but several have been attacked with impunity in 2018, sometimes by police officers.Although Ghana is still considered one of the most democratic countries in Africa, Chapter 12 of its The constitution of 1992 guarantees the pluralism and independence of the media, one-third of the media is owned by the state or by businessmen linked to the government. "

Ghana's worst ranking in the world press freedom index dates back to 2013, when it ranked 30th and ranked best in 2015 at 22nd place. In 2014, Ghana was ranked 27th and maintained 26th place in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

World ranking

Scandinavian countries worldwide; Norway, Finland and Sweden led the standings first, second and third, respectively.

The Netherlands (fourth) and Denmark (fifth) complete the first five nations.

Namibia, 23rd, is now the highest ranked African country with Cape Verde, 25th, and South Africa and Burkina Faso, respectively 31st and 36th.

The United Kingdom ranked 33rd and the United States went from niche to "satisfactory" to move from niche to 48th place.