The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has called for stronger collaboration between the media and security agencies across Ghana.
Ghana has long been regarded 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 vital role in promoting public accountability. However, in recent years, media freedom in Ghana has come under increasing pressure.
In response to this trend, the MFWA, in partnership with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), and in collaboration with the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana, and the Ghana Community Radio Network, has organized a national dialogue on the theme “Strengthening Collaboration between the Media and Security Agencies in Ghana.” The initiative seeks to address the growing incidents of journalists being attacked in the line of duty and to enhance trust and cooperation between media practitioners and security agencies.
The event brought together journalists, security personnel, and students from various institutions. It forms part of MFWA’s project on Countering Corruption through Accountability Journalism and Improving the Freedom of Expression Environment in Ghana.
Speaking at the dialogue held in Accra, Mr. Braimah emphasized the need to curb the attacks on journalists and urged security agencies to view journalists not as adversaries but as partners in safeguarding national stability and democratic governance. He highlighted the importance of fostering stronger collaboration to strengthen Ghana’s democracy.
The Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Grace Ansah Akrofi, also addressed the forum. She reaffirmed the readiness of security agencies to work closely with the media and encouraged journalists to prioritize their personal safety over the pressure to be the first to publish stories, noting that such risks can endanger their lives.
Meanwhile, data from the MFWA indicates that Ghana recorded 87 incidents of media-related violence between January 2020 and November 2025, with security agencies responsible for 34 of these cases.
By Portia Adoba Fosu
