The Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) has commended the Government of Ghana for proposing the establishment of a National Media Fund, describing the move as timely, strategic, and critical to safeguarding the future of the country’s media landscape.
According to PRINPAG, the proposal comes at a time when media organisations—particularly smaller and privately owned outlets—are struggling under rising operational costs, declining advertising revenue, limited training opportunities, and mounting sustainability challenges.
These constraints, the Association warned, threaten media independence, vibrancy, and long-term survival, making the Fund an essential intervention.
In a statement signed by its President, David Tamakloe, PRINPAG expressed gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for what it described as his “thoughtfulness and longstanding commitment to media development.”
The Association noted that President Mahama first introduced the idea of a national media support mechanism during his earlier administration, although it could not be fully implemented before the end of his term in 2016.
“With his renewed leadership and dedication to national progress, we are confident that the vision he once championed for media advancement will now be realised,” the statement said, adding that PRINPAG remains hopeful that the revived push to activate and operationalise the Media Development Fund will not stall.
PRINPAG urged the government to expedite the processes required to set up the Fund in order to deliver timely support to journalists and media institutions nationwide.
To ensure transparency, independence, and effective management, the Association proposed that the Fund be anchored on strong governance structures, including a dedicated Secretariat, a Fund Administrator, and an Independent Board composed of competent and experienced professionals.
The Association further appealed to media stakeholders, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector, and the wider public to back the initiative and support efforts to strengthen Ghana’s media ecosystem.
A resilient and independent media, it stressed, remains essential to deepening democracy, promoting accountability, and advancing national development.
PRINPAG reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the government and all stakeholders to build a free, vibrant, and sustainable media environment for the country.
