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Awudu Mahama, editor of The Custodian newspaper, says assurances given by President John Mahama on protecting media freedom will remain hollow unless they translate into real protection for journalists on the ground.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (11 September), Awudu said while the president’s engagement with the media was commendable, the responses fell short of addressing the lived reality of Ghanaian journalists.
“The idea of a president meeting journalists is a good one and we must give him credit. But it’s not new; all presidents since 2001 have had encounters with the media. My issue is with the questions and the answers. Some questions were not answered directly at all,” he said.
On press freedom, Awudu said the president’s promises echoed a familiar script. “Every president will say, ‘we will protect journalists, we will defend freedom of expression.’ But nothing changes. Journalists continue to face brutality, sometimes at the hands of state actors themselves,” he noted.
He cited recent arrests and physical attacks on reporters covering sensitive issues. “These assurances are made officially, but down here journalists continue to face arrests, harassment and even violence. That is the reality.”
Awudu stressed that journalists need more than rhetoric; they need concrete protections to perform their role in holding power accountable.
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