President John Dramani Mahama has announced a GH¢10 million allocation in the 2027 Budget as seed money for the reactivation of the Media Development Fund.
The fund is meant to support journalists’ welfare, professional development, and strengthening of journalism practice in the country.
The fund is expected to support investigative reporting, digital literacy and safety training, in addition to improving the welfare and professional capacity of media practitioners.
President Mahama made the announcement at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards in Accra last Saturday, saying the allocation was part of efforts to translate his earlier commitment to revive the fund into practical support for the media.
“At the 29th GJA Media Awards, I announced the reactivation of the Media Development Fund to support journalist welfare, professional development, investigative reporting, digital literacy and safety training. I am pleased to announce that the government has allocated in the 2027 Budget GH¢10 million of seed money for the Media Fund,” he said.
The ceremony recognised journalists and media organisations for work published in 2025.
It had the theme: “Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Media Freedom and Combating Hate Speech in the Digital Age”.
It brought together President John Dramani Mahama, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin; Ministers of State, the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie; the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama; the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno; the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin; the Executive Chairman of KGL Group, Alex Apau Dadey; businessman, Ernest Ofori Sarpong, journalists and media practitioners, other government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, among others, to celebrate excellence in journalism and reward outstanding journalists in the past year.
The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, chaired the event, while the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the patron of the GJA, was represented by the Nkoranzamanhene, Nana Kwame Baffoe IV.
Additional resources
President Mahama said the government would also work with the GJA to mobilise additional resources from corporate institutions to strengthen the fund.
He said he would personally engage companies to contribute, and mentioned the KGL Group and the Bank of Ghana among the institutions he intended to approach.
“I shall personally work with the GJA to get several other corporate institutions to contribute to the fund. So KGL, Bank of Ghana, all of you, we are coming to you to contribute to the Media Fund,” he said.
The proposed contributions are expected to supplement the government's initial allocation and provide additional resources for the fund's objectives.
The latest commitment revives an initiative that dates back to 2011, when Mr Mahama, then-Vice-President, announced plans to establish a Media Development Fund at the 16th GJA Awards.
The government subsequently allocated GH¢1 million as seed money in the 2012 Budget, with the fund intended to improve the professional output and competence of media organisations and practitioners.
It was expected to attract contributions from corporate institutions and other donors. However, the fund was never operationalised, as concerns were raised over its management, administration and disbursement arrangements.
The renewed commitment, therefore, places attention not only on the allocation but also on the arrangements required to make the fund functional and ensure that journalists and media organisations benefit from it.
In March 2026, the Media Foundation for West Africa, commenting on the proposed reintroduction of the fund, said its success would depend on clear governance structures, operational independence, transparency in the disbursement of resources and sustainable financing beyond the initial government allocation.
President Mahama said the government would continue engaging the GJA and other stakeholders to translate the commitment into practical support, while respecting editorial independence.
Building newsroom capacity
Beyond the proposed funding, the President urged experienced media practitioners, particularly editors, to create opportunities for younger journalists to acquire practical newsroom skills.
President Mahama said mentorship and direct exposure to specialised reporting would help young journalists develop the competence needed to produce stronger stories.
“I encourage the association and experienced editors to make room for younger reporters to learn this work. A young journalist who can sit with an editor and work through a set of public accounts will carry that skill into every story that follows,” he said.
The President said such opportunities would help build the next generation of journalists and improve the quality of reporting in the country.
Preserve cultural heritage
The Ga Mantse called on journalists to play a stronger role in preserving the country’s history, languages and cultural heritage, saying the media must ensure that the country’s identity was passed on to generations.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru said journalism went beyond reporting daily events, stressing that media practitioners had a responsibility to document the country’s history, promote its languages and culture, and ensure that the experiences and traditions of communities were represented.
“A society that loses its history risks losing its identity,” he said.
Essential Role
The Ga Mantse said the media was essential to Ghana’s democracy and national development, as it shaped public opinion, promoted accountability, educated citizens and influenced national discourse.
“Ghana has a rich history of community life, storytelling and the preservation of identity, which has been passed down through generations largely through oral traditions.
“The media has an important role in sustaining that legacy by documenting the country’s experiences and preserving the stories of its people,” he stated.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru, however, urged journalists to balance press freedom with responsibility, particularly in an era when information travelled rapidly.
He said the exercise of that freedom should be guided by respect for human dignity, cultural values and the national interest.
He stressed that the speed at which information circulated should not come at the expense of accuracy, fairness and professionalism.
Uphold truth
For his part, the Nkoranzamanhene, who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, said the integrity of journalism depended on the profession’s commitment to truth and the values that guided society.
Nana Baffoe conveyed the Asantehene’s greetings to the GJA leadership and members, and congratulated the award winners.
Speaking on behalf of the Asantehene, he said the association played an important role in protecting media freedom and freedom of expression.
Nana Baffoe urged media practitioners to uphold the principles of truth and professional integrity, saying those values were central to the credibility of the profession.
He expressed the hope that the media would continue to grow as a force for good and remain a valuable partner in national development.
The Nkoranzamanhene said the media also had an important responsibility to educate communities and national leaders, and wished the GJA continued success in carrying out its mandate.
