President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaian journalists to avoid what he describes as the deliberate pursuit of scandals where none exist, while maintaining a responsible approach to holding public officials accountable.

Speaking at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards in Accra on Saturday, November 7, 2026, the President cautioned against what he called adversarial journalism and excessive media zeal.

He expressed concern about journalists who publicly challenge ministers to appear on their programmes to explain alleged discrepancies, saying such practices could go beyond responsible media scrutiny.

“We must also draw the line where journalism becomes adversarial,” President Mahama said.

He added that deliberately searching for scandals where none exist could distract attention from issues affecting the lives of Ghanaians and the government’s development priorities.

Mahama Reaffirms Commitment to Media Freedom

Despite his concerns, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the media’s constitutional responsibility to scrutinise government and demand accountability.

He said journalists must be able to question public officials, investigate matters of public interest and hold those in authority accountable.

His comments come amid public debate over the government’s reported GH¢49.7 million expenditure on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks.

The Minority in Parliament has questioned aspects of the expenditure, particularly records relating to the GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and GH¢500 transport allowance reportedly allocated to each returnee. It has called for an independent audit of the exercise.

Call for Responsible Journalism

The 30th GJA Media Awards celebrated journalistic excellence and highlighted the media’s contribution to Ghana’s democratic development.

The event was held under the theme, “Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Media Freedom and Combating Hate Speech in the Digital Age.”

President Mahama’s remarks have renewed discussion about the balance between responsible journalism and the media’s watchdog role in a democratic society.

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