By: Ashiadey Dotse
President John Dramani Mahama has said that reviving Ghana’s state-owned media requires more than just providing new equipment, stressing the need for a broader strategy to ensure their survival in today’s fast-changing media space.
”It is not enough to just retool the state media but also see how we can enhance their production so that they continue to remain relevant” he said.
He made this known in response to an appeal from the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, who called for urgent government support to save struggling state-owned media houses on Friday September 5, 2025.
Mr. Dwumfuor reminded President Mahama of his 2024 campaign pledge to retool the state media, warning that without decisive action, the sector could face collapse.
“We need government intervention to save our dying state-owned media from collapsing. Ahead of the 2024 election, you pledged at a media engagement to retool the state media and bring life into it,” Mr. Dwumfuor said.
In his response, President Mahama acknowledged the financial and structural challenges but explained that the problem goes beyond funding and logistics.
“The state media are caught up in the changing media landscape. People are consuming information from many more sources than before, meaning fewer people are reading newspapers or depending on traditional media. Many now prefer short videos and content from bloggers,” he noted.
He added that while retooling is still important, it must be backed by efforts to strengthen content and production in line with modern audience demands.
He indicated that best practices can also be learned from international platforms like the Financial Times and The New York Times, which have successfully adapted to the digital age.
