President John Dramani Mahama has called for an urgent reorientation of Ghana’s security personnel following a surge in physical assaults against media practitioners, emphasizing that the recurring friction between security agencies and the press undermines the nation’s democratic credentials.
Speaking during a high-profile visit to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the President asserted that the safety of journalists is non-negotiable and pledged that his administration would implement a collaborative framework to ensure that reporters can carry out their duties without fear of intimidation or physical harm.
“There is no way we will tolerate the continued assault on journalists. We have engaged with the Ghana Journalists Association on these issues and will ensure they are in touch with the security services. Many of our security personnel need reorientation to understand that, just as they provide safety, journalists are also performing their duty to inform the public”
President John Dramani Mahama
The President’s remarks come in the wake of data that indicates that between January and July 2025, at least 13 journalists were assaulted in five separate incidents. This trend has heightened fears regarding the safety of reporters, particularly those covering emergency scenes and public protests.
President Mahama condemned these acts, stating that such behavior by state actors does not reflect the professional values expected of those in uniform.
Kasoa Market Assault
A specific catalyst for the President’s directive was a recent incident involving Samuel Addo, a journalist with Class Media who was physically confronted and manhandled by officers of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) while covering a massive fire outbreak at the Kasoa New Market.
Video footage of the incident showed the reporter being pushed and harassed by fire service personnel as he attempted to film the scene.
President Mahama confirmed during his address that the officers identified in the video have been interdicted, describing the confrontation as unacceptable and contrary to the principles of transparency.
The interdiction serves as a formal signal that the executive will hold security personnel accountable for breaches of professional conduct. The President noted that the GNFS and other security arms must view the media as partners in public service rather than antagonists.
Promoting Synergy
The proposed reorientation program aims to sensitize security personnel on the critical role journalists play in promoting transparency and governance.
President Mahama explained that the lack of understanding regarding the media’s constitutional mandate often leads to unnecessary hostility at incident scenes. By reinforcing professionalism, his administration hopes to create a safer environment for media coverage of national emergencies.
The President highlighted that the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) will be central to this sensitization drive, working directly with the leadership of various security services to draft new engagement protocols.
“They are not antagonists to each other; they are both serving the public,” President Mahama said, noting that the goal is to ensure that security officers recognize that informing the public is a duty of equal importance to the physical protection of the state.
President Mahama’s visit to the GBC also served as a broader endorsement of public service broadcasting. He urged the state broadcaster to remain a pillar of unbiased reporting while the government works to address the systemic issues leading to media harassment.
As the new reorientation measures are rolled out, the focus remains on whether these institutional shifts will effectively curb the pattern of violence that has plagued the industry over the past year.
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