c. to insulate the state owned media from government control:
d. to make regulations by constitutional for the registrations by
constitutional for the registration of
newspapers and other
publications, expect that the regulations shall not provide for the
exercise of any direction or control over the professional functions of
a person engaged in the production of newspapers or other means of
mass communication.
The NMC, since its establishment in 1993, has been mediating complaints
alleging infraction of privacy rights. It has facilitated out-of-court
settlement of libel cases brought against journalists and other media
practitioners.
The media scene in Ghana is replete with private radio stations which run
interactive Programmes geared towards promoting accountability and
transparency in governance - e.g. phone-ins, talk shows, etc. There are
seven FM stations in Accra alone, with all the remaining nine regional
capitals having at least one FM station. Kumasi, the second largest city in
Ghana, boasts five FM radio stations.
A robust private press, made up of approximately 11 newspapers,
competes for regular readership with the two national dailies (The
Ghanaian Times and the
Graphic) and the two weeklies (The Weekly
Spectator and The Mirror) which are state- controlled. Various highquality professional magazines also maintain a prominent presence on the
newsstands. Radio, television and newspapers reach virtually every corner
of Ghana.
As
noted earlier, the National Media Commission has oversight
responsibilities for the free exercise of media freedom and the
resolution of administrative issues and conflicts in the operation of the
media. Today, there is a relatively free and vibrant media in Ghana
compared with the situation in the PNI)C era.
The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), in conjunction with the NMC,
has drawn up a Code of Ethics to guide media practitioners in attaining
qualitative professional conduct among media practitioners.