Donkor: A Case Study of the Safety of Journalists in Ghana

Africanus L Diedong

doi:10.4314/gjds.v14i1.10

Abstract

This paper argues that the safety of journalists in Ghana can no longer be taken for granted given the available evidence of physical attacks on journalists (Joint Statement NMC et al., 2016 and MFWA, 2016). The overarching objective of the study is to portray Donkor’s case as typical of similar cases in Ghana and beyond and highlight the implications of attacks on journalists. In the past decade or so, physical attacks on journalist have been the most prevalent form of violation against journalists in Ghana. In this paper, a single case study of Donkor is examined together with relevant documents as the tip of an iceberg to demonstrate and paint a picture of the harrowing and degrading experience of physical and other forms of attacks against journalists in Ghana and its implications for safeguarding press freedom and the fundamental human rights of people. The incidence of attacks against journalists and how such perpetrators often go unpunished, though not a phenomenon peculiar only to Ghana, needs an examination given the latitude of freedom of the media guaranteed in the 1992 fourth republican Constitution of Ghana. It is pertinent to ask: how far have stakeholders contributed to the promotion of journalists’ safety as prescribed in UNESCO’s Safety of Journalists Document? While chronicling some instances of actions, which tend to endanger the lives of journalists in the line of duty, the paper concludes that a concerted effort is required to enable journalists, the public, civil society organisations, international organisations and state institutions to initiate strategic actions aimed at tackling the problem. Keywords : Press Freedom, Human Rights, Physical Attacks, Safety of Journalists, Perpetrators, Ghana

Highlights

In Ghana, despite the existence of a reasonable measure of press freedom as guaranteed by the fourth republican Constitution of 1992, there appears to be ‘silence’ over cases of attacks of journalists
This paper argues that the safety of journalists in Ghana can no longer be taken for granted given the available evidence of physical attacks on journalists (Joint Statement National Media Commission (NMC) et al, 2016 and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), 2016)
It is pertinent to ask: how far have stakeholders contributed to the promotion of journalists’ safety as prescribed in UNESCO’s Safety of Journalists Document? While chronicling some instances of actions, which tend to endanger the lives of journalists in the line of duty, I would conclude that a concerted effort is required to enable journalists, the public, civil society organisations, international organisations and state institutions to initiate strategic actions aimed at tackling the problem

Summary

Introduction

In Ghana, despite the existence of a reasonable measure of press freedom as guaranteed by the fourth republican Constitution of 1992, there appears to be ‘silence’ over cases of attacks of journalists. Physical attacks on journalists have been the most prevalent form of violation in Ghana as captured by the MFWA in the last ten years with the worst perpetrators being the security agencies led by the military and the police (see Tables 1 & 2). On whether or not there has been an improvement in the state of journalists’ safety in Ghana since the adoption of the UN Resolution, the evidence suggests no improvement at least as far as violations of media rights are concerned. The implications of physical attacks on journalists – being the worst form of violence, that is over 67% of all the violations recorded by the MFWA (93 out of 138) in the last 10 years – are of grave concern since these attacks endanger journalists’ lives as well as serve as a disincentive to youngsters who may be desirous of becoming journalists in the future. If the UNESCO definition of safety as “a broad category that extends from preventive, protective and pre-emptive measures, through to combating impunity and promoting a social culture, which cherishes freedom of expression and press freedom” (Pöyhtäri & Berger, 2015, p. 1) is anything to go by, Ghana is yet to ensure adequate safety of journalists in its growing democracy given the incidents of violations against journalists

The Case of Donkor

Findings

Conclusions