Bagbin Backs GJA Push for Law on Journalists’ Conditions of Service

Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has thrown his weight behind the Ghana Journalists Association’s (GJA) push for legislation to regulate the conditions of service of journalists and media practitioners, endorsing the development of a private member’s bill to address long-standing welfare concerns in the media industry.

GJA President Albert Dwumfour disclosed the Speaker’s assurance at the 30th GJA Media Awards in Accra on Saturday, November 7, 2026, saying it followed a recent engagement between the Association and the Speaker .

“During our recent engagement with the Right Honourable Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Mr Speaker gave the association an important assurance of Parliament's readiness to partner the GJA in developing a private member's bill to address the conditions of service of journalists and media practitioners,” Mr Dwumfour said.

He described the assurance as a significant commitment towards improving the welfare and professional dignity of journalists .

“We believe that the time has come for Ghana to move beyond periodic appeals to media owners and establish a more structured approach to protecting the economic interest and professional dignity of journalists,” the GJA President said.

A Sector in Distress

The proposed legislation, Mr Dwumfour explained, could provide a framework for addressing concerns about fair remuneration, job security, decent working conditions and the general welfare of media practitioners .

He said poor remuneration, insecure employment, inadequate conditions of service, irregular salary payments and limited opportunities for professional development continued to undermine the welfare and independence of journalists.

“A journalist who struggles to meet basic needs is more vulnerable to undue influence and professional compromise. Improving journalist welfare is therefore not simply a labour issue. It is an investment in media independence, professional integrity and the quality of our democracy,” he said.

The GJA President argued that the economic conditions of media practitioners had implications beyond the workplace, particularly for professional integrity and the media’s role in holding institutions accountable.

Mr Dwumfour said the Association was prepared to work with Parliament, media owners, labour stakeholders and other relevant institutions to develop a practical and sustainable legislative framework, adding that the GJA was looking to the Speaker’s leadership to help translate the assurance into a legislative process .

The Awards Night

The 30th GJA Media Awards were held under the theme, “Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Media Freedom and Combating Hate Speech in the Digital Age,” and brought together journalists, media organisations and other stakeholders to recognise achievements in the media industry .

The ceremony, held at the Palms Convention Centre of the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, was chaired by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, with dignitaries including the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dzifa Gomashie, and the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, in attendance .

In his address, Mr Debrah said the Government had noted the GJA’s concerns and would consider a proposal for a state-funded media support fund, while praising the Association for its commitment to responsible journalism.

Asempa FM’s Philip Osei Bonsu, popularly known as O.B., was named the 2026 GJA Journalist of the Year, the Association’s highest individual honour, while GBC’s Esther Aidoo won the Bank of Ghana Governor’s Economic and Financial Story of the Year award . Doreen Ampofo was named Best in Radio Documentaries, Prince Kukorku took Best Photojournalist of the Year, and UniMAC-IJ’s Jennifer Frimpong-Wiredu was named Best Student Journalist of the Year .

Background: A Long-Standing Campaign

The GJA’s push for a legislative framework on media welfare is not new. Successive GJA administrations have raised concerns about the precarious conditions under which many Ghanaian journalists work, with irregular salary payments, the absence of formal employment contracts and the lack of pension arrangements among the most persistent complaints .

Previous GJA leaderships periodically urged media owners to improve working conditions, but the reliance on appeals has yielded limited results. Mr Dwumfour’s announcement signals a shift in strategy, from moral persuasion to legislative codification.

The endorsement by the Speaker is significant in Ghana’s constitutional context. Private members’ bills in Parliament can be introduced by MPs, but a Speaker’s backing lends procedural weight and political momentum to the process. The proposed bill would need to pass through the full legislative cycle—committee scrutiny, debate and possible amendments—before becoming law.

The GJA’s focus also intersects with broader media freedom debates in Ghana. The theme of this year’s awards—combating hate speech in the digital age—reflects concerns about the online environment, but the Association has consistently argued that press freedom cannot be meaningful without the economic and professional security of journalists themselves .

For now, the Association’s focus turns to Parliament, where the Speaker’s assurance will be tested by whether a bill is actually introduced, debated and enacted.