President John Dramani Mahama has assured journalists that the government’s new digital legislation – the Cybersecurity Amendment Bill and the Misinformation and Disinformation Bill – will not be used to silence the media or restrict free speech.
Speaking at the 29th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Saturday, November 8, 2025, President John Mahama said the bills are meant to protect citizens and promote truth in the digital space, not to intimidate journalists.
“The same digital tools that democratized information now also enable hate, defamation, impersonation, and cyberbullying,” he said.
“Therefore, the Cybersecurity Amendment Bill and the Misinformation and Disinformation Bill currently before Parliament are not meant to restrict free expression but to safeguard citizens and uphold truth in the digital realm.”
Mahama acknowledged that the GJA and civil society groups have expressed concerns about the proposed laws but assured them that the government would address all issues “transparently and constructively.”
“The aim is to extend the ethical standards of traditional journalism into the digital realm without infringing on constitutional freedoms,” he noted.
He added that freedom of expression does not include the freedom to destroy reputations or incite violence, stressing the need for a balance between rights and responsibility.
“Freedom of expression does not include the freedom to ruin reputations, threaten lives, or incite violence,” Mahama said.
“As I have often said, the boundary of free speech is speech that endangers peace and human dignity.”
President Mahama also urged journalists and digital content creators to uphold integrity and accuracy in their reporting, cautioning against the rush to break news without proper verification.
“Too often, the race to ‘break the story first’ results in unverified publication and damage to reputation,” he said.
“The credibility of journalism depends on integrity, accuracy, and fairness.”
He proposed that the media develop stronger internal verification systems and adopt “peer accountability,” where journalists and outlets help correct each other’s mistakes in the public interest.
“The integrity of the media must be safeguarded from both external interference and internal decay,” he added.
“When falsehood flourishes, democracy suffers. When sensationalism displaces substance, citizens lose trust.”
Mahama reaffirmed his government’s commitment to upholding press freedom, describing journalism as a cornerstone of Ghana’s democracy.
He said his administration is determined to reverse Ghana’s recent decline in global press freedom rankings and restore the “spirit of pre-2017,” when journalists worked freely without fear of intimidation.
“The media is not just a bystander in national life; it is an institution of the state, constitutionally protected, whose vitality shapes the quality of our democracy,” he said.
“My administration has chosen to reclaim our place as Africa’s torchbearer of media freedom.”
He also pledged justice for journalists attacked during the 2020 and 2024 elections, revealing that investigations into those incidents are complete and that the Attorney-General is reviewing the report for legal action and compensation.
“This government will neither sanction nor tolerate any form of intimidation, interference, or attack on journalists,” Mahama declared.
President Mahama announced that the Media Development Fund is being revived to support welfare, capacity-building, and investigative journalism.
“The Fund will support capacity-building, welfare, investigative journalism, digital literacy, and safety training, ensuring that journalists can work confidently, competently, and securely,” he said.
He added that regular dialogues between the Presidency and the media will continue, with the next engagement scheduled to mark the first anniversary of his administration.
Mahama further called on journalists to defend truth and democracy, saying government and media must work together to keep Ghana’s democracy strong.
“My government will uphold that vigilance,” he said, quoting Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s famous line that “the press should be the vigilant watchdog of the people, not the lapdog of the powerful.”
“Together – government, media, and citizens – we can build a Ghana that is ethical in governance, honest in speech, peaceful in spirit, and united in purpose.”
