{
  "id": 18088538,
  "title": "Government favours media self-regulation over state control – Samuel George",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/government-favours-media-self-regulation-over-state-control-samuel",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-04T06:59:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghana Business News",
    "slug": "ghana-business-news",
    "url": "https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2026/11/04/government-favours-media-self-regulation-over-state-control-samuel-george/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Samuel Nartey George, the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, has stated that the government favors self-regulation of the media over state control. At a public forum in Accra, he emphasized the need for media organizations to take responsibility for regulating their own activities to avoid excessive government intervention and safeguard press freedom. George urged media bodies to enforce their codes of ethics, sanction members who breach professional standards, establish effective complaints mechanisms, openly correct errors, and uphold ethical standards regardless of political affiliations.\n\nHe stressed that strong self-regulation was the best defense against government over-regulation, and that the media must demonstrate their ability to manage their own affairs. George reiterated that professional misconduct should not justify attacks or violence against journalists, stating that responses should be through correction, right of reply, complaint to the regulator, or court case, and never with violence.\n\nThe Minister welcomed the Media Foundation for West Africa's (MFWA) Model Safety of Journalists Policy for adoption by newsrooms, calling on owners to provide risk assessments, emergency contacts, secure devices, and legal and psychological support for journalists. MFWA Executive Director Sulemana Braimah noted that Ghana remains a relatively safer environment for journalists compared to other countries in the sub-region, but urged for continued efforts to improve safety.\n\nGhana Broadcasting Corporation Director-General Prof. Amin Alhassan called for the National Communications Authority to consider mandating Social Security contributions for media workers as part of broadcasting license renewal, as many journalists risked retiring without pensions due to inadequate payroll systems in some media organizations. He also advocated for discussions on net neutrality policies to prevent telecommunications companies from giving preferential treatment to their own platforms at the expense of media organizations.\n\nFormer Ghana Journalists Association President Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie welcomed the model safety policy and urged newsrooms to adopt and implement it to enhance journalist protection. The forum aimed to strengthen journalist safety and promote accountability for crimes against media practitioners in Ghana.",
  "summary": "The government says it favours peer regulation of the media over state control, has thus urged the media to take responsibility for regulating its own activities to prevent excessive government intervention and safeguard press freedom. The post Government favours media self-regulation over state control – Samuel George appeared first on Ghana Business News .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}