Ghana has climbed 13 places on the latest World Press Freedom Index, but British High Commissioner Christian Rogg says new digital threats are closing in on the country’s media space.
Speaking at his residence in Accra on Wednesday to mark World Press Freedom Day, Mr Rogg said the latest ranking should make Ghana proud.
“Ghana rose in the ranking 13 places from last year, and if I read it correctly, it’s now the fourth freest media environment in Africa.”
He said the achievement reflects Ghana’s long tradition of a free and open media environment, one that is also protected by the Constitution.
But he warned that even countries with strong democratic traditions are not immune from the pressures reshaping the media landscape.
“Even countries like Ghana and the UK with those traditions are not immune from some of the challenges that we’re seeing and some of the changes in the media landscape.”
He said the spread of misinformation and disinformation is making societies increasingly vulnerable.
“Our societies are increasingly susceptible to misinformation and to disinformation.”
Mr Rogg pointed to the experience of the COVID period, saying it exposed how false information spread rapidly across countries.
“We actually realised just how much of that information was wrong and was spread without good foundations at the time.”
According to him, digital technologies have transformed how information is produced and shared. But they have also created serious risks.
“We are also seeing the downside of that trend, the misinformation and disinformation that I’ve mentioned, but also we’re seeing growing pressure and threats towards journalists, and we’re seeing an erosion of public trust as a result.”
He said isolated incidents can quickly become larger trends that damage democratic institutions.
“We’re seeing that what could be isolated incidents ultimately amounts to trends that can weaken democratic processes, that can lead to the shrinkage of civic space, and that can breed tensions, and that can breed even violence if they’re not addressed.”
Mr Rogg cited the conflict in Bawku as an example where false stories and fake accounts have heightened tensions.
He also warned that disinformation campaigns are increasingly organised and cross-border.
“Since the year 2022, Russia has sponsored 80 documented disinformation campaigns in 22 African countries.”
He said research from the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies shows that West Africa is the most targeted region, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the total.
Against that backdrop, he said independent journalism has become more important than ever.
“We know that independent journalism strengthens information integrity. We know that it acts as a vital counterweight to disinformation and propaganda.”
He ended with a warning that press freedom cannot be taken for granted.
“Press Freedom is not self-sustaining. It requires vigilance, partnership and political will.”
“And today is not just about marking this particular day, but it’s also about renewing our shared commitment, and that is a commitment to truth, a commitment to accountability and a commitment to the democratic values that depend on the free press.”
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