May 3 was marked the world over as World Press Freedom Day.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) used the occasion to honour some Ghanaian journalists who have over the years contributed to Press Freedom.
Here is the speech read by GJA President, Albert Dwumfour:
WELCOME ADDRESS BY MR ALBERT KWABENA DWUMFOUR, PRESIDENT OF THE GHANA JOURNALISTS’ ASSOCIATION, AT THE COMMEMORATION OF WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY AND HONOURS NIGHT, HELD AT ALISA HOTEL, NORTH RIDGE, ON MAY 2, 2025
Your Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana;
Hon. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State for Government Communication;
Ministers of State;
Members of Parliament;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Members of the National Executive and National Council of the GJA;
Champions of Press Freedom
Senior members of the inky fraternity;
Other colleague media practitioners,
Distinguished invited guests,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Good evening to you all.
On behalf of the National Executive and National Council of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), I wish to welcome you all to this evening’s ceremony to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) and also honour 24 distinguished individuals and institutions for their significant contributions to the promotion of press freedom and the development of the media in Ghana.
Ladies and gentlemen, before I proceed, permit me to do what is needful and noble. Our elders say: “The first to apologise is the bravest, the first to forgive is the strongest, and the first to forget is the happiest”. Taking counsel from this proverb, I wish, on behalf of the National Executive, to sincerely apologise to our distinguished honorees and invited guests for the late invitation to this programme. And may you also take inspiration from the call of this proverb to forgive our trespasses.
Ladies and gentlemen, without rendering any justification, one major reason for the unfortunate turn of events is the lack of funding to organise this programme. It is the reason we are profoundly grateful to our sponsors for coming to our aid in the last minute. In that regard, I wish to thank KGL Group of Companies, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), National Communications Authority (NCA), Goldbod, Alisa Hotel North Ridge and Ghana Broadcasting Corporation the, for supporting the organization of this programme. This is why the National Executive decided to honour the Group Chairman of KGL Group of Companies, Mr. Alex Dadey and others for offering tremendous support to this current GJA Administration to enable us be on our feet. Permit me to also thank a few individuals who have supported the organization of this programme. They include Nana Kwaku Dei (privately known as Ransford Tetteh) and Peter Martey Agbeko. Thank you, seniors, for your commitment to our call.
Let me use this opportunity to thank our constituents for your cooperation and massive support over the years in ensuring the success of GJA activities. With your permission, let me mention a few media houses who have demonstrated commitment at all times to the works of the GJA. These are; Joy News, Atinka TV, UTV, TV3, Starr FM, Daily Graphic, GNA, Ghanaian Times and many others.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the World Press Freedom Day is a crucial reminder of the fundamental importance of a free and independent press in fostering democracy, promoting accountability, and ensuring the free flow of information.
Ladies and gentlemen, globally, 3rd May has been set aside for the commemoration of WPFD, and the theme for this year’s commemoration is: “Reporting in the brave new world – The impact of artificial intelligence on press freedom and the media”. This theme is very appropriate given the impact of artificial intelligence on our enterprise. You may recall that last year, on the birthday of the GJA (15th
At the national level, the theme is: “Celebrating champions of press freedom and Ghana’s media growth; building a resilient media in the AI era”. We chose this theme to reflect our purpose for tonight’s ceremony. And that is to remember the imperative of press freedom for democratic and national development, and never to forget about the importance of individuals and institutions that have championed press freedom over the years.
We stand today on the firm shoulders of giants, the pioneering journalists, editors, and media owners who bravely championed the cause of press freedom in Ghana through political upheaval and economic hardship. Their unwavering commitment to truth-telling, courageous pursuit of accountability, and relentless defense of the public’s right to know laid the bedrock upon which our current media landscape is built. We salute their tenacity, ethical fortitude, and enduring legacy, inspiring generations of journalists in our nation. Their stories remind us that the freedoms we enjoy today were hard-won and must be jealously guarded.
Ladies and gentlemen, we acknowledge that there are many individuals and institutions who deserve to be honoured but who are not on our list tonight. That does not take anything away from the recognition of their significant contribution to press freedom and media development. The reality is that we cannot accommodate all of them tonight, and it is our intention to make this initiative a permanent feature on the GJA Calendar. So, hopefully, others will be duly honoured next year.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is, however, instructive to note that even among those we are honouring today, there are some of them who deserve additional honour for their exceptional roles in the promotion of press freedom. In that regard, we intend to name the Best Radio News Reporter category of the GJA Awards after Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby for his pioneering role in the promotion of press freedom, particularly the establishment of private radio. We are aware that many other individuals were behind the establishment of Radio Eye, but we believe the man, popularly called Tarzan, has been the face of Radio Eye. In naming this award after Dr Wereko-Brobby, we only seek to immortalise him. We believe it is important to find some other means of honouring achievers of our time.
Hon. Minister, Distinguished Guests, now, we find ourselves at the dawn of a new technological revolution—the era of Artificial Intelligence. AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it is rapidly permeating various aspects of our lives, and the media industry is no exception. This transformative technology presents a double-edged sword for journalism.
On one hand, AI offers tremendous potential to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of news gathering, processing, and dissemination. AI-powered tools can assist with tasks such as transcribing interviews, analyzing large datasets for investigative reporting, automating the creation of routine news reports, and personalizing news delivery to individual audiences. AI can also play a crucial role in fact-checking and identifying manipulated content, offering a powerful weapon in the fight against disinformation.
On the other hand, the rise of AI also presents profound challenges that we must confront proactively. The increasing sophistication of AI-generated content raises serious concerns about the potential for the mass production of fake media, which can be incredibly difficult to distinguish from authentic content. This poses a significant threat to the credibility of news organizations and could further erode public trust in information. The AI revolution is a conversation that we need to have as it will continue to impact our work on a daily basis.
Ladies and gentlemen, not long ago, Reporters Without Borders released the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, with Ghana slipping down the ranks. Out of 180 countries ranked annually, Ghana dropped from the 50th position with a score of 67.13% in 2024, to 52nd position with a score of 67.71% in 2025. The worst indicator is security, with Ghana dropping from the 72nd position in 2024 to 86th position in 2025, although it recorded a reduction in score 82.94% in 2024 to 78.93% in 2025. The details of our performance in this year’s World Press Freedom Index clearly attest to how bad we are doing as a country. It also reinforces the need for us to intensify our efforts at promoting press freedom.
According our record this year, there have been eleven (11) cases of assault against journalists, all eleven (11) of them occurred in February this year.
| Index 2025
52/ 180 Score : 67.13 |
POSITION/ / / SCORE | Index 2024
50/ 180 Score : 67.71 |
|
| Political indicator | 36
64.44 |
Political indicator | 51
59.50 |
| Economic indicator | 73
44.93 |
Economic indicator | 72
47.92 |
| Legislative indicator | 41
75.40 |
Legislative indicator | 38
74.79 |
| Social indicator | 52
71.97 |
Social indicator | 48
73.41 |
| Security indicator | 86
78.93 |
Security indicator | 72
82.94 |
The records are not good for us especially on Economic, Security and Legislative Indicators. This is the reason why we have been calling on the police to take attacks on journalists seriously especially bringing perpetrators of attacks on the media to face justice to serve as deterrent to others and to end impunity. We have not been sleeping on the attacks against our members, the reason why we have been demanding justice for our murdered colleague, Ahmed Suale. We want to reiterate our calls on the IGP that THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!
Hon. Minister, Distinguished Guests, with your indulgence, shall we rise to observe a minute silence in memory of our gallant men and women who passed in the line of duty and also those who suffered attacks in the discharge of their duties.
On the economic front, the media is experiencing levels of fragility which is a leading threat to press freedom. Although physical attacks against journalists are the most visible violations of press freedom, economic pressure is a major problem. The economic indicator on the RSF World Press Freedom Index continues to decline as the national economic challenges affect operations of the media.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we mark World Press Freedom Day, the GJA wishes to affirm its commitment to the tenets of press freedom. We shall continue to protect and promote press freedom even more than we have done before. In the past, we had had cause to blackout some politicians and taken legal actions, all in defense of press freedom. We had also established the Journalists Support Fund with the view to addressing media freedom and welfare matters. Going forward, we shall intensify our efforts at promoting press freedom.
However, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to quickly add that the GJA will never condone irresponsibility. We should all appreciate the fact that freedoms and rights are not absolute, and that they go with responsibility. So, inasmuch as we shall not countenance attacks on press freedom, we shall also not condone irresponsible practices in the media.
Ladies and gentlemen, as I bring my speech to an end, I encourage all of us to celebrate the champions of the past and the growth we have achieved and embrace the future with courage and foresight. Let us work together to build a media landscape that is free, vibrant, resilient, innovative, and deeply committed to serving the public interest in this rapidly evolving AI era. The Ghana Journalists Association stands ready to participate in this crucial endeavor.
I wish to remind all that the promotion of press freedom is not the burden of only media practitioners; it is also the responsibility of all because the lack of press freedom affects every aspect of our national life. We should, therefore, endeavour at all times to protect journalists and the work we do.
May we all enjoy the evening.
Long live press freedom in Ghana!
Long live GJA!!
Long live Ghana!!!
Thank you for your kind attention.
