The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has urged President John Dramani Mahama to exercise his executive authority to establish a law that criminalises physical attacks on media professionals.
The appeal was made when the Association’s leadership, led by its President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, paid a courtesy call on the President at the Jubilee House.
Mr. Dwumfuor expressed concern over the rising cases of violence against journalists, noting that the trend has severely tarnished Ghana’s global press freedom image.
He highlighted that Ghana has slipped from its previous top spot to 52nd place out of 180 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index, and from being among the top three in Africa to now ranking eighth. He described the development as both worrying and unacceptable, calling for urgent action to reverse the decline.
He further stressed that the current legal framework does little to discourage offenders since most cases are treated as misdemeanours. According to him, a stronger law that redefines such acts as aggravated offences would empower security agencies to offer better protection to journalists.
He emphasised that such reforms would not only provide a deterrent but also help reclaim Ghana’s status as a beacon of press freedom on the continent.
