Media Manager Dr Kenneth Ashigbey has cast doubt on the commitment of Ghana’s major political parties, including the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), to promoting independent journalism. He argued that neither party appeared willing to support a media environment strong enough to hold political leaders accountable.
He stressed that the considerable influence political parties wield over the country’s governance made it essential for Ghana to have financially strong and independent media institutions capable of scrutinising those in authority without fear or favour. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, November 9, Dr Ashigbey said mounting financial difficulties facing media organisations, coupled with the growing control of major digital platforms over advertising revenue, were undermining the sustainability of quality journalism.
His comments followed discussions on remuneration for media professionals and President John Dramani Mahama’s announcement of a GH¢10 million allocation to the Media Development Fund. “The politicians would not want independent media to thrive. They both, the NDC and NPP, would not want it to thrive,” he stated. Dr Ashigbey warned that Ghana could not afford to allow political interests and commercial pressures to erode the media’s ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate.
He explained that the migration of advertising revenue to major digital platforms had significantly affected traditional media organisations, limiting their capacity to finance in-depth reporting and retain skilled journalists needed to deliver quality content. According to him, the financial constraints had also contributed to the growing prominence of public relations-driven reporting at the expense of independent and critical journalism.
“The tendency for a lot of what I call PR journalism tends to drive what it is that we do rather than the very rigorous, critical, analytical, independent journalism that you can get,” he said.
Dr Ashigbey maintained that the situation was particularly concerning in Ghana, where political parties wield significant influence over governance. He emphasised that media organisations needed adequate financial resources and institutional independence to effectively scrutinise political leadership and hold those in power accountable.
Dr Ashigbey questioned how the media, widely regarded as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, could effectively fulfil its watchdog role without access to the kind of public funding enjoyed by the other arms of government.
He noted that while the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary received financial support from taxpayers, the media had no similar guaranteed funding mechanism to sustain its constitutional responsibilities. According to him, media managers were already facing difficulties raising the resources needed to support the standard of journalism the country required.
He observed that the media industry was undergoing major changes globally, with some independent news organisations in other jurisdictions increasingly adopting subscription-based models to finance their operations while safeguarding editorial independence. Dr Ashigbey argued that Ghana needed to explore sustainable funding mechanisms that would empower media organisations to deliver critical and independent journalism without becoming overly reliant on political or commercial interests.
Although he welcomed the proposed GH¢10 million allocation to the Media Development Fund, he cautioned that setting up the fund alone would not necessarily guarantee the development of a strong and independent media. He maintained that citizens must take an active interest in demanding a sustainable funding framework that safeguards media independence rather than leaving the sector’s future dependent on the goodwill of politicians.
Invoking the constitutional principle that sovereignty resides in the people, Dr Ashigbey urged Ghanaians to exercise their collective power to advocate for a funding system that adequately supports independent journalism. He said the proposed fund offered an opportunity to address the financial challenges confronting the media, but its effectiveness would ultimately depend on stakeholders’ commitment to establishing a framework that prioritises the public interest.
