DW Akademie in Ghana

Ghana is a long-standing pillar of press freedom in Africa. It is ranked 50th on the 2024 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, with a press freedom landscape classified as problematic. Ghana dropped significantly in 2022 to 62nd out of 180 countries.  

Ghana’s media professionals increasingly face threats and attacks, and in such conditions, they are vulnerable to bribes known as "brown envelopes." At the same time, media houses are struggling financially and are often subject to political interests. 

However, digitalization provides citizens with new opportunities, including online payment platforms and faster Internet access. This, in turn, changes media habits, with social media now an important source of information. But with AI-generated content, disinformation, cyberbullying, and hate speech on the rise, journalists must have greater expertise in researching and fact-checking. Users, for their part, must have the necessary skills to critically evaluate media content.

Our activities

DW Akademie's projects in Ghana are aimed squarely at both media professionals and their audiences. In 2021, our partner Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) established The Fourth Estate, a project where journalists produce in-depth investigative pieces that focus on anti-corruption. The MFWA also offers journalists skill-building workshops and a fellowship for aspiring investigative journalists.

Media and information literacy (MIL) is vital for audiences is critical. In 2019, DW Akademie's project partner Penplusbytes (PPB), a non-governmental organization, launched the Media Literacy Hub, primarily for those aged 15-35 years, but also for media workers and the general public. PPB also uses different formats to spread media literacy to new target groups, including hearing-impaired students and women. The project aims for participants to acquire a critical approach to sensationalism and disinformation on social media, as well as to provide them with production and editing skills. 

Funding body: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) 

Program Director:  Ama Kodjo 

Locations: Greater Accra, Ashanti Region, Northern Region, Central Region, North East Region, Savannah Region, Volta Region 

Local partners: Penplusbytes, Media Foundation for West Africa  

Focus: Media Information Literacy, participation, qualification, Investigative Journalism