Vice President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Linda Asante-Agyei, has expressed concern over Ghana dropping 30 places to the 60th position on the 2022 World Press Freedom Index.
She indicated that the “scanty report” she has come across only makes reference to the past and not the present, the cause of her misgivings.
“I personally have my own reservations over this ranking. I don’t know what material they used and how we dropped from 30th to 60th. Even after the death of Ahmed Suale in 2019 what was our ranking? Have we recorded any deaths in the year under review? I have my own reservations. I have seen the scanty report and it’s referring to the past but what has been done presently?” she queried in a Special Discussion dubbed: “Is Journalism Under Surveillance?” with e.tv Ghana’s Samuel Eshun.
According to her, although Ghana has its unique problems, it has worked its way through them to improve press freedom in the country.
“I think our position now is far below and this is unacceptable,” he reiterated.
Ghana has dropped 30 places to 60th on the 2022 World Press Freedom Index.
The ranking is Ghana’s third-lowest since Reporters Without Borders (RSF) began publishing the report in 2002.
READ MORE: PressFreedomDayOnGMABC: Journalism is the path of service – GIBA
Ghana ranked 67th in 2002 and 66th in 2005.
This year the index was compiled using a new methodology to take better account of new challenges, including those linked to media digitalisation.
Another change in the data gathering this year was that although the survey stopped at the end of January 2022, updates for January to March 2022 were carried out for countries where the situation had changed dramatically, such as Russia, Ukraine and Mali.
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