Ashigbey questions NDC and NPP commitment to independent media
Media Manager Dr Kenneth Ashigbey has expressed concern that Ghana’s two major political parties may have little interest in supporting a truly independent media capable of holding governments and political leaders accountable.
By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News Canada
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, November 9, Dr Ashigbey argued that the influence political parties wield over national governance makes it essential for Ghana to maintain financially strong and editorially independent media organisations.
He made the remarks during a discussion on journalists’ remuneration and President John Dramani Mahama’s announcement of GH¢10 million as seed funding for the Media Development Fund in the 2027 Budget.
“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 identified financial difficulties confronting media organisations and the increasing dominance of major digital platforms in the advertising industry as major threats to sustainable journalism.
He explained that the migration of advertising revenue towards digital platforms was reducing the financial capacity of traditional media houses, making it difficult for them to employ qualified journalists, retain experienced personnel and finance investigative reporting.
According to him, the situation has encouraged some newsrooms to depend increasingly on public relations material rather than producing rigorous, independent and analytical reports.
“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.
He questioned how the media could effectively perform its constitutional responsibility as the Fourth Estate when it lacked a reliable funding arrangement comparable to the public resources available to the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary.
Dr Ashigbey further observed that some independent media organisations in other countries had adopted subscription-based models to generate revenue and protect their editorial independence.
Although he welcomed the proposed GH¢10 million Media Development Fund, he cautioned that establishing the fund alone would not automatically resolve the industry’s financial challenges.
He urged citizens and stakeholders to demand a transparent and sustainable funding framework that would protect media organisations from political pressure and excessive commercial influence.
Invoking the constitutional principle that sovereignty belongs to the people, he called on Ghanaians to use their collective voice to demand an arrangement that would enable independent journalism to serve the public interest.
Commentary
Independent journalism requires more than political promises and financial allocations. Ghana must establish safeguards that prevent public funding from becoming a tool for rewarding friendly media organisations or punishing critical voices. The real test will be whether the proposed fund protects editorial independence across political divides.
