Home page - World Report

Ghana

Print Send français Partager Tweet

26 out of 178 in the latest worldwide index

• Area: 238 533 sq.km
• Population: 23 887 812
• Language: English
• Head of state: John Atta Mills, since January 2009

Ghana is a model democracy in Africa, with the continent’s greatest media freedom in 2009. Although the situation for the media is satisfactory, several journalists were physically attacked by political militants during the year.

The country showed off its internationally-praised democratic transition in early 2009 when a close victory was won by the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress and quickly recognised by the ruling National Patriotic Party of outgoing President John Kufuor.

Ghana’s media are free to criticise the authorities without fear of reprisals. Only two publications were sued in 2009 and press offences were decriminalised in 2001. There are many radio stations and the print media is diverse and good quality, with over 100 newspapers and magazines, more than a dozen of them independent. Major international TV networks such as the BBC and CNN are accessible, as well as radio news stations RFI and Voice of America. Internet access is unrestricted.

A draft law approved by the government in 2009 would guarantee access to all public information. The measure, backed by civil society and the public through the Ghana Coalition on the Right to Information, would increase the transparency of government activity and public bodies.

A few cases were recorded of physical attacks on journalists and damage to their equipment by police or by political activists during political demonstrations.

Updated : March 2010