President John Dramani Mahama has called for a national stakeholder engagement to address the growing incidence of hate speech, abusive language and other harmful content on social media and emerging digital platforms.

In a letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) have been asked to jointly lead the engagement.

The initiative comes amid growing concerns over the changing nature of Ghana’s media environment, where public discourse is increasingly shaped not only by traditional media organisations but also by bloggers, content creators, influencers and social media users.

According to the letter, many of these digital actors command significant audiences and influence but may not operate under established editorial standards or clear accountability mechanisms.

The President’s position, as outlined in the letter, is that the challenge requires a balanced approach that addresses genuinely harmful online conduct without undermining freedom of expression.

While threats, incitement, hate speech and other unlawful conduct must be addressed, the President stressed the need to protect legitimate criticism, political commentary, satire and dissent.

He also expressed concern that disproportionate arrests over mere criticism or politically charged commentary could be counterproductive, create “undeserving martyrs” and weaken public confidence in state institutions.

The proposed stakeholder engagement is expected to develop a coherent national roadmap for dealing with harmful digital content while protecting constitutional freedoms.

The MFWA and GJA have been asked to bring together a broad range of stakeholders, including the National Media Commission, Ghana Police Service, religious bodies, civil society organisations, traditional media organisations, content creators, bloggers and influencers.

Legal and human-rights experts, representatives of digital platforms, as well as relevant regulatory and security institutions, are also expected to participate.

The engagement will examine the adequacy of Ghana’s existing legal, regulatory and institutional framework and seek to clarify the distinction between lawful criticism and unlawful speech.

It will also consider practical guidelines for law-enforcement agencies and recommend policy, legislative, regulatory and non-legislative measures.

Other areas under consideration include public education, media and digital literacy, professional and ethical standards for online content creators, and accessible complaints and redress mechanisms.

The process is also expected to explore alternatives to arrest and prosecution in cases that do not involve threats, incitement, violence or other clearly criminal conduct.

The MFWA and GJA have been requested to submit a proposed framework and timetable for the stakeholder engagement, together with recommendations arising from the process, for the President’s consideration.