Ghana’s media ecosystem is considered one of the most vibrant in Africa. Since the press liberalisation in the early 1990s, the country has seen significant growth in state-owned and privately owned media. Article 162 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, fostering the proliferation of media outlets across the nation. According to the 2023 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Ghana ranked 62nd out of 180 countries. However, journalists in Ghana continue to report instances of political interference, censorship, and harassment, particularly during election cycles or when covering corruption and governance (Owusu, 2012). Amadu et al. (2023) observe that ownership structures, especially those involving state interests or political affiliations, significantly impact media independence and editorial direction. Pan and Xu (2022) also contend that state-owned outlets often reflect pro-government narratives, while privately owned media display varying degrees of political alignment depending on ownership. This combination of openness and control results in a complex Ghanaian media landscape where media-political parallelism is an increasingly relevant analytical framework.
The two newspapers selected for this project are the Daily Graphic and The Daily Guide. These publications were selected based on their national reach, audience influence, and distinct ownership structures reflecting divergent political power relationships. The Daily Graphic is Ghana’s most popular newspaper, owned by the state via the Graphic Communications Group Limited and founded in 1950. The paper typically adopts a government-friendly editorial line reflecting its ownership and mission. It often publishes government press releases, policy updates, and content aligned with the state’s priorities, such as foreign policy initiatives. While it occasionally provides space for dissenting views, its overall political discourse is aligned with the sitting government, regardless of which political party is in power. This consistent alignment with state interests illustrates what Hallin and Mancini (2004) define as high political parallelism, where the media serves as the ideological and communicative extension of the state. The Daily Graphic fits the high parallelism category. It functions as a semi-official voice of the state, advocating government policies and often mirroring the state’s ideological posture.
The Daily Guide is published by Western Publications Limited. The paper is one of Ghana’s leading privately owned newspapers. It is widely recognised for its political leanings toward the New Patriotic Party (NPP). As noted by GeoPoll, it is also one of the most-read newspapers in the country, reaching an estimated 726,000 readers per day (GeoPoll, 2017). The paper’s editorial line is often sympathetic to the NPP, especially when the party is in opposition. During election periods, the Daily Guide typically amplifies narratives that support the NPP’s platform while being critical of its main political rival, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). This political leaning is evident in headline choices, editorial commentary, and story framing. However, there have been occasions when the paper has diverged from the official NPP position, especially in cases where party members in government have been embroiled in scandals that are difficult to justify. Following Hallin and Mancini’s (2004) the Daily Guide falls under low political parallelism. It shows a precise yet non-exclusive ideological alignment with a major political party while maintaining some editorial autonomy to publish critical content.
The two selected newspapers, Ghana’s most influential, the Daily Graphic and the Daily Guide, are suited for this project as they allow for a comparative examination of how differing institutional affiliations shape editorial direction and political coverage in Ghana’s media landscape.
- The Daily Graphic is best categorised as demonstrating high political parallelism, given its ownership, editorial content, and function as a state-aligned platform.
- The Daily Guide fits the classification of low political parallelism due to its partisan sympathies, particularly toward the NPP, while maintaining partial editorial independence.
These classifications highlight the nuanced nature of media–politics relations in Ghana. They also underscore the importance of considering ownership, editorial practice, and political advocacy when evaluating media behaviour in emerging democracies.
References
Amadu, M. F., Mumuni, E., & Chentiba, A. T. (2023). Journalistic ethics and elections news coverage in the Ghanaian press: a content analysis of two daily Ghanaian newspaper coverage of election 2020. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 21(1), 63-75.
Graphic Communications Group Limited. (n.d.). *Daily Graphic Newspaper*. https://corporate.graphic.com.gh/daily-graphic-newspaper.html
GeoPoll. (2017, January 30). Top TV, Radio, and Print Outlets in Ghana. https://www.geopoll.com/blog/ghana-media-measurement-report-top-tv-radio-print-outlets-2017/
Hallin, D. C., & Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing media systems: Three models of media and politics. Cambridge University Press.
Reporters Without Borders. (2023). 2023 World Press Freedom Index: Ghana. https://rsf.org/en/country/ghana
Owusu, W. Y. (2012). The Ghanaian media landscape: How unethical practices of journalists undermine progress. London: Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Pan, J., Shao, Z., & Xu, Y. (2022). How government-controlled media shifts policy attitudes through framing. Political Science Research and Methods, 10(2), 317-332.