Otumfuo Warns: Unchecked New Media Could Doom Journalism and Undermine Democracy
Asantehene urges national dialogue to protect the integrity of journalism amid rise of unregulated digital media.
- Otumfuo warns that unregulated new media threatens journalism and democracy
- Calls for national dialogue to restore ethics, discipline, and professionalism in the media
- Laments moral and linguistic decay undermining Ghana’s traditional values
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has raised serious concerns over the growing influence of unregulated new media, warning that its unchecked spread threatens the survival of professional journalism and the stability of Ghana’s democracy.
Speaking at the 29th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards dinner held at the Manhyia Palace on Saturday, November 8, the Asantehene cautioned that the rise of unrestrained digital platforms has created an environment where misinformation and sensationalism thrive, eroding public trust in the media and distorting national values.
He challenged policymakers, journalists, and the general public to open a national conversation on how to protect the integrity and future of the media profession. “We must ask ourselves: how worried should we be about the potential hijacking of journalism by self-seeking hustlers, and can our nation afford a media that operates beyond the reach of the law?” he questioned.
Otumfuo stressed that while freedom of expression is fundamental to democracy, it must operate within the boundaries of the law. “Any media—old or new—that functions without legal restraint poses a direct threat to democracy,” he warned, emphasizing that the rule of law must guide every aspect of media practice.
The Asantehene further lamented the declining moral and linguistic standards in today’s media, noting that the content being consumed, particularly by young people, is reshaping minds and eroding Ghana’s traditional values. “When you fill the mind with garbage, the output can only be garbage,” he remarked pointedly.
He called on all media stakeholders to unite in restoring the profession’s lost dignity and uphold the standards set by journalism legends such as P.A.V. Ansah. “Let us begin a serious dialogue to reclaim the honour and integrity of this noble profession,” Otumfuo concluded.
