'What is happening is horrifying' - Kwesi Pratt on Ghana's public discourse

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has called for urgent efforts to sanitise public discourse in Ghana, expressing concern over what he describes as the deteriorating quality of conversations in the media and political space.

According to him, the increasing use of personal attacks, insults, religious bigotry and content relating to alleged coups goes beyond what should be accepted in the name of free speech.

Speaking on Metro TV's Good Morning Ghana on September 23, 2026, he said that while citizens have the right to hold and express diverse views, that freedom does not extend to criminal acts.

The veteran journalist also cited instances where individuals have circulated videos on social media claiming that a coup d’état had occurred at the Flagstaff House and that people were fleeing.

“I've seen videos of persons who are actually announcing coup details. That's an act of treason.

“Those are criminal offences. In fact, some of them would amount to high treason, and they should not be taken lightly,” he stated.

Pratt also criticised what he described as the growing focus on the private lives and physical appearance of public figures in political discussions.

He questioned why the private relationships of politicians and other public figures had become part of public discourse.

“Who is sleeping with who and so on. This has become the political discourse. I think it's unacceptable,” he said.

According to him, even discussions on government policies and public decisions are increasingly being accompanied by personal attacks rather than substantive debate.

He went to cite some instances where reactions to policy measures degenerate into comments about the physical appearance of politicians, including their bodies and legs.

“That is the political discussion and debate. It's extremely worrying,” Pratt said.

He believes the situation requires deliberate action to improve the quality of public discourse.

“I believe that honestly, that something must be done in order to sanitise public discourse. If we don't sanitise public discourse, I don't know where we are heading,” he said.

Pratt again expressed concern about what he described as the increasing manifestation of religious bigotry in the public space.

He said discussions on public issues are sometimes reduced to generalisations about Muslims and Christians.

“And then it gets worse, when it gets reduced to religious bigotry. So much religious bigotry these days,” he said.

“Muslims are this, Christians are this, and so on. I don't want to get into the details. But religious bigotry is also finding expression in the public space, and I get very deeply worried,” he added.

He rejected the suggestion that the current state of public discourse was what advocates of free speech had fought for.

He explained that freedom of speech should allow people to hold and express views that differ.

“People ought to be able to hold views which are different from that of the establishment.

“People ought to be able to express views which the authorities may not be comfortable with," he stated.

However, he stressed that such freedom should not be interpreted as permission to engage in criminal conduct.

“That is not your licence to treason and sedition. That is not to licence the kinds of things that you're seeing in the media today,” he said.

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“What is happening is horrifying,” he added.

Pratt said he is particularly concerned about the direction of Ghana's media space and urged citizens to take the situation seriously.

He said people should be troubled by the nature of some of the content and discussions increasingly finding space in the media.

“Don't you get worried when you see some of those things? I do. Honestly, I do,” he said.

He added that the situation should provoke serious reflection and prompt action.

“If you don't get worried when you see some of those things, and if you don't feel some pangs which compels you to think that something needs to be done urgently and so on, then we have a problem.

“I can't repeat some of them. I can't. I'm struggling to describe what is happening in the media space, because I can't repeat what is happening,” he noted.

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