Am really surprise media freedom has worsen, I don’t see it

Former Acting General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), James Kwabena Bomfeh, (Kabila) has rubbished Reporters Without Borders (RSF)’s 2022 World Press Freedom Index ranking on Ghana.

According to him, the ranking is surprising since he doesn’t see that the country’s freedom has worsened.

“I don’t know what the report considered and what may have accounted for the whatever figures that they had but you know, Johnnie I really am surprised, I will be surprised anybody will say that empirically in this country media freedom has worsen. I don’t see it”.

Mr Bonfeh, affectionately called Kabila made the comment on TV3 NewDay on Wednesday, May 4 monitored by GhanaPlus.com. while reacting to report released on Tuesday, May 3.

World Press Freedom Index 2022: Ghana ranked 60^th out of 180 countries

Reporters Without Borders is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information in its latest global press freedom index placed Ghana at the 60th position out of 180 countries.

The latest ranking is the third lowest the country has recorded sincethe ranking began some 20years ago.

Ghana was ranked 67th and 66th in 2002 and 2005 respectively.

The latest report placed Ghana below African countries such us Namibia, South Africa , Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso , Sierra Leone , Gambia, and Niger who ranked 18,35,36,37, 41,46, 50 and 59 respectively.

A country fact file published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Ghana said “Although the country is considered a regional leader in democratic stability, journalists have experienced growing pressures in recent years”.

“To protect their jobs and their security, they increasingly resort to self-censorship, as the government shows itself intolerant of criticism. In addition, one-third of media outlets are owned by politicians or by people tied to the top political parties. The content they produce is largely partisan,” the fact file further reads.

“Journalists’ safety has deteriorated sharply in recent years. In 2020, reporters covering the effectiveness of anti-Covid-19 measures were attacked by security forces. And political leaders are again making death threats against investigative journalists. Nearly all cases of law enforcement officers attacking journalists are not pursued,” the fact file added.

Source: GhanaPlus.com