THERE WILL BE INK - Initiative for Policy Dialogue

eading at grade level was predicted to reach 20 percent. Enrollment rates, however, vary acrossGhana’s different regions. In northern Ghana in 2007, according to USAID, “more than 40 percentof girls at the basic level [were] not in school.” 115The literacy rate in Ghana stands at 57.9 percent of the national population. 116 English is Ghana’sofficial language, but ten other major Ghanaian and regional languages are spoken across thecountry. English is the predominant language of Ghana’s print and broadcast media; however, manypopular radio stations broadcast in local languages.Civil SocietyGhana’s stability and democracy-friendly climate has also resulted in many foreign NGOs, churchand aid organizations establishing significant presences in the country. Such organizations appear tobe able establish themselves without much in the way of bureaucratic hindrances. However, Ghana’sindigenous civil society, while vibrant, does not yet seem engrained into Ghanaian society, andpolitical and economic culture. Indeed, foreign organizations seem to have an easier time than localNGOs, particularly if those NGOs are critical of the ruling government, based on our researcher’sobservations.Media LandscapeGhana’s media environment is still developing. Ghana’s media, as a whole, is more stable andmature than in many of Ghana’s regional neighbors, but it still has a long way to go. Ghana’s recenthistory has not always been kind to media development. After Lt. General Jerry Rawling’s ascensionto power in 1981, political parties were banned and the media was repressed to some degree.Following the introduction of a new constitution and democratic elections in 1992 (which Rawlingswon in 1992 and 1996), Ghana’s political and media atmosphere improved significantly. However, astrict libel law continued to dampen Ghana’s media until its repeal in 2001, which resulted in anexplosion of private media outlets.The initial explosion in media that occurred after the repeal of the libel law seems to have beenfollowed by significant development within the media sector. Most of Ghana’s news outlets todayare small private outlets that focus on entertainment and political news.Substantial media development work, particularly to strengthen Ghana’s business and economicjournalism, is much needed. However, a comprehensive shift in the media landscape may benecessary before Ghana’s media can be strengthened. The biggest challenge to media developmentin Ghana may be Ghanaian society’s low regard for the media and the services it provides. Simplyput, the media won’t develop if there is no demand for improvement, nor will journalism attract thetalent needed to make the media thrive.The Ghanaian media’s business model presents another serious challenge to media development.Many journalists said that many newspapers discourage in-depth, substantive journalism because ofthe expense and time commitment involved. Editors and journalists alike also complained that toomuch media coverage is market-driven, meaning that stories get published only when there aremedia consumers for them. The media-consuming public, they said, is interested primarily in115 USAID: http://www.usaid.gov/press/factsheets/2007/fs070924_3.html.116 United Nations Development Program Human Development Report 2007/2008,http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_GHA.html.– 38 –