The Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Mrs. Matilda Asante-Asiedu, has cautioned that while Ghana’s media landscape continues to record notable progress, persistent structural challenges, particularly misinformation and disinformation, pose growing risks to public trust, economic stability, and national development outcomes.
Speaking at the World Press Freedom Honours Night 2026 in Accra, she noted that despite improvements in press freedom indicators, including Ghana’s rise in the World Press Freedom Index, the sector must now confront deeper systemic pressures affecting its credibility and sustainability. She identified misinformation and disinformation, alongside the economic fragility of media institutions and declining public confidence, as key concerns requiring urgent attention.
She emphasised that misinformation and disinformation are no longer marginal issues, describing them as “among the most severe global risks” as reflected in the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report. She further noted that these risks now rank second only to “geoeconomic confrontation”, highlighting their scale and potential impact on governance, markets, and social cohesion.
According to her, the evolving information environment places the media at the centre of both opportunity and risk. While the sector remains a critical pillar of democratic accountability, she stressed that its influence also carries heightened responsibility in shaping public perception, particularly in an era where digital platforms accelerate the spread of unverified content.
She added that the sustainability of media institutions is tied to public trust, noting that credibility remains a core asset that determines audience confidence, engagement, and financial viability. In her view, declining trust in media content has direct implications not only for journalism but also for broader institutional confidence in society.
The Deputy Governor also linked the credibility of information flows to economic stability, arguing that inaccurate or poorly contextualised reporting can distort expectations and influence behaviour in financial markets. She maintained that in a data-sensitive environment such as foreign exchange trading and inflation management, the way information is framed can either reinforce stability or amplify uncertainty.
She stressed that the Bank of Ghana views the media as a strategic partner in ensuring effective policy communication, particularly in translating complex monetary policy decisions into accessible public understanding. She noted that this function is essential for anchoring expectations, strengthening confidence, and supporting macroeconomic stability.
Reiterating the importance of responsible journalism, she called for a media ecosystem that strengthens verification, context, and accuracy in reporting. She urged stakeholders to recognise that the power of the media extends beyond information dissemination to shaping economic behaviour, institutional trust, and democratic resilience.
She emphasized that safeguarding the integrity of the information space is now a shared national responsibility, requiring cooperation between policymakers, media practitioners, and the public to ensure that the press continues to serve as a credible pillar of development and accountability.
