Manasseh Azure Awuni worried about the decline in critical journalism

Manasseh Azure Awuni says the recent commitment of media houses to the fight against corruption has dwindled which is having a great effect on critical journalism in the country.

The freelance investigative reporter described the performance of Ghana’s media in recent times as being “below average”.

“In the last ten years, however, the number of media houses committed to the fight against corruption in Ghana has dwindled,” Manasseh Azure Awuni stated at the 2020 Baah-Wiredu Memorial Lecture held in Accra on October 29.

“If you ask me how the media has performed in the fight against corruption in the Fourth Republic, I will say it is below average. Out of 10, I will award three marks for the effort of the media. It is getting worse by the day and critical journalism is dying.”

Azure Awuni indicated that the state-owned media houses are unable to be objective about government-related issues and are thus not able to critique the actions of the government.

He, however, applauded the works of private firms in holding the government accountable despite their late entry to the media industry.

“The state-owned media have never been truly independent and have therefore lacked the ability to be critical of the government.

“Private radio and television stations were late entrants to Ghana’s media industry. They came in the Fourth Republic but a few of them still contributed to the fight against corruption,” he added.

Manasseh Azure Awuni has described the Akufo-Addo administration as the most corrupt in the history of the fourth republic.