The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in partnership with key media associations, will convene a series of regional dialogues aimed at strengthening collaboration and mutual trust between the media and state security agencies in Ghana. The first phase of the engagements will take place in Accra and Tamale in November 27 and December 3, 2025, respectively with a subsequent session scheduled for Kumasi in 2026.
Over the past three decades, Ghana has earned a reputation as one of Africa's stable democracies, anchored by constitutional guarantees of press freedom and freedom of expression. These rights have enabled the media to play a central role in driving public debate, demanding accountability, and contributing to democratic development. However, the media freedom environment in Ghana has come under increasing pressure in recent years.
Cases of intimidation, harassment, and physical attacks against journalists have risen, with perpetrators often going unpunished. Reporters Without Borders ranked Ghana 30th globally in 2021, a position that slipped to 50th by 2025, reflecting growing concern about press freedom and the safety of journalists in the country.
While threats come from both state and non-state actors, elements within security institutions have on several occasions been implicated in abuses against journalists. These incidents undermine public trust in security institutions and threaten the independence of the media.
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Confrontations between security agencies and journalists are most visible during protests, investigations, and coverage of politically sensitive or security-related matters. Without structured platforms for engagement, these tensions risk escalating, shrinking the space for cooperation and shared responsibility in promoting democratic governance.
In response, the MFWA, working with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Private Newspaper and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), and the Ghana Community Radio Network (GCRN), is organising regional dialogues to foster open discussion, conflict resolution, and appreciation of professional roles on both sides.
The dialogues forms part of MFWA's project on "Countering corruption through accountability journalism and improved freedom of expression environment in Ghana." The project seeks to strengthen collaboration between media professionals and state security agencies while improving the freedom of expression environment in Ghana.
The initiative falls under the Participation, Accountability, Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) Programme, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the EU and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and implemented by GIZ in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance.
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The Accra dialogue is scheduled for November 27, 2025, at The Palms by Eagles Hotel, Airport City while the Tamale session will follow on December 3, 2025, at the Nim Avenue Hotel. Each forum will bring together security officers from multiple regions, media associations, civil society groups, academia, and working journalists. The Kumasi dialogue will be held in 2026, with details to be announced in due course.
The regional engagements aim to; strengthen partnership between the media and security services, build dialogue and mechanisms for resolving conflicts before they escalate, and promote better understanding of professional roles and reduce incidents that jeopardise journalists' safety. Through these dialogues, the MFWA seeks to advance a safer and more enabling environment for freedom of expression and press freedom while supporting institutions to work together in the interest of public accountability and democratic governance.
