Majority of Ghanaians Support Media Oversight Role but Trust and Perceived Freedom Decline – Afrobarometer
A majority of Ghanaians say the media should play a key role in holding the government accountable by reporting on mistakes and corruption, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey. However, public trust in the media and perceptions of its freedom have declined in recent years.
The survey reveals that while 67% of Ghanaians believe the media is “somewhat” or “completely” free to operate without government interference, the proportion of those who think otherwise has increased sharply—from 19% in 2019 to 32% in the current survey.
Significantly, more than eight in 10 respondents (82%) support the media’s watchdog role, agreeing that journalists should consistently investigate and report on governmental errors and corruption.
However, public trust in both state-owned and privately owned media outlets has diminished. Only 41% of respondents say they trust news from these outlets “somewhat” or “a lot,” marking a 7-percentage-point decline for private media and a 3-point drop for state-owned media compared to 2022.
Confidence in social media as a credible news source has declined even more steeply, falling by 12 percentage points to just 26%.
On the issue of press safety, fewer than one in three Ghanaians believe threats and physical attacks on journalists have increased in the last two years. Specifically, only 32% of respondents cite a rise in attacks from political party supporters, while 28% and 26% report perceived increases in threats from ordinary citizens and security forces, respectively.
The Afrobarometer findings highlight a complex media landscape where the public values the press’s role in promoting accountability but is increasingly wary of media freedom and credibility.
