The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has expressed concern over Ghana’s decline in the Global Press Freedom rankings, dropping from 23rd position in 2018 to 50th in 2024.

Executive Director Sulemana Braimah made these remarks at a Media-Security dialogue held in Accra on Friday, November 28, an engagement designed to foster better relationships, trust, and collaboration between media practitioners and security agencies in Ghana.

Ghana’s position on the Global Press Freedom Index has been steadily declining over the years, from 23rd in 2018, to 60th in 2022, 62nd in 2023, and finally 50th in 2024.

Braimah attributed this downward trend to a rise in violations of media freedom, including arbitrary arrests, detentions, and physical assaults by security personnel.

“Even though we improved to 50th position in 2024, we remain far from the high levels we had achieved previously. In 2018, when we placed 33rd out of 180 countries, Ghana was number one on the African continent. The reasons for the decline are clear,” he said.

“We have witnessed an increase in media freedom violations, ranging from arbitrary arrests and detentions to physical violence, violent disruption of live programs, and the growing misuse of laws on false publications,” he said.