From The Rio Times · Samuel Ncube · · 2m
Who Owns Ghana's Media?
Ghana's press freedom ranks up 13 places as state and private media blend in 2026.
In brief
Ghana's press freedom ranks up 13 places as state and private media blend in 2026. Ghana ranked 39th in 2026 press freedom index, up from 52nd in 2025, with state-owned and private outlets. Originally reported by The Rio Times.
Ghana Media Landscape
Ghana media blends state-owned newspapers and broadcasters with private radio, TV and online outlets as of October 2026.
Press Freedom Rank
Ghana ranked 39th of 180 countries in the 2026 press freedom index, up 13 places from 2025.
Key Numbers
571 FM radio stations and 124 TV operators were on air as of Q2 2026, with 26.3 million Ghanaians online in October 2025.
State Media Ownership
The state owns Graphic Communications, the New Times Corporation and broadcaster GBC.
Private Media Groups
Multimedia Group, founded by Kwasi Twum in 1995, runs Joy and Adom; Despite Group and Media General were large owners in 2017.
Regulation
The National Media Commission oversees state media and the National Communications Authority licenses broadcasters.
Right to Information
The Right to Information Act of 2019 lets anyone request records from public bodies, with 2,575 requests received in 2024.
Misinformation Bill
The government announced a misinformation bill in April 2025, but it is not confirmed Parliament has passed it by October 2026.
Press Freedom Score
Ghana scored 72.20 points in the 2026 press freedom index against 67.13 in 2025, an improvement of 5.07 points.
Journalist Safety
RSF reported no journalist deaths in Ghana since January 2026 but studios were attacked during live broadcasts.
Social Media Use
8.59 million social media user identities in Ghana in October 2025, or 24.4% of the population.
Prediction Markets
Kalshi predicts President John Mahama's NDC has a 59.5% chance of winning Ghana's 2028 parliamentary election.
What It Means for US Readers
US travelers and investors can read open English-language Ghanaian news but should weigh party-linked ownership and viral claims.
Ownership Challenges
About a third of outlets had no ownership data in 2017, with incomplete or outdated records in other cases.
What to Watch
Watch whether the misinformation bill reaches Parliament, August 2026 fines for RTI compliance, and Ghana's 2027 press freedom ranking.
Next Steps
Ghana's press freedom is expected to improve with stronger regulation and transparency in media ownership.
The bottom line
Ghana ranked 39th in 2026 press freedom index, up from 52nd in 2025, with state-owned and private outlets.
