Kwaku Asante, Author at Media Foundation For West Africa

WPFD 2024: Gov’ts must ensure an open civic space for environmental journalists, activists in West Africa

Press FreedomMay 3, 2024945Views 0Likes 0Comments

The celebration of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2024 is under the theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis”. The global event to mark the day, to be held in Santiago, Chile, as well as the national celebrations, will focus on two critical issues – the global environmental…

MFWA marks WPFD 2024 with multiple events and engagements

Media and Good GovernanceApr 29, 2024908Views 0Likes 0Comments

Globally, Africa is the least contributor to the rise in greenhouse emissions, with a carbon footprint estimated at just 4% of the world pollution metric. However, communities across the continent are disproportionately impacted by a continuously worsening climate crisis. The sub-Saharan region, especially West Africa, is known to be one of the worst impacted by the climate crisis. Amidst…

Senegal state agencies comply with policy on public data management after MFWA Fellow’s report

Digital RightsApr 15, 2024998Views 0Likes 0Comments

Since November 2023, state agencies in Senegal have been transferring data in their possession to a national storage centre purposely built for the safekeeping of public data. The rehousing is in keeping with a policy to organize citizens’ data into a safe, reliable and readily accessible pool for national development planning. This policy came into…

Press freedom in Nigeria: The spiral of repression continues in 2024

Safety of JournalistsApr 10, 20243KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Journalists and critical voices in Nigeria continue to face challenges in carrying out their duties and, or, expressing their opinions. From attacks on journalists to threats against media practitioners, these incidents highlight the necessity to discourage press freedom and freedom of expression violations by holding the perpetrators accountable. Physical Attacks On March 4, 2024, the…

Stakeholders urged to collaborate against mis/disinformation ahead of Ghana’s elections 2024

Media and Good Governance, Media DevelopmentApr 9, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

A one-day forum on mis/disinformation and propaganda narratives in Ghana closed with a call on stakeholders to collaborate towards ensuring that the phenomena do not dominate the political campaigns before, during and after Ghana’s general elections in December 2024. The media, civil society, government and media associations were urged to unite efforts towards ensuring that…

Call for application: Journalism training on women empowerment and gender-sensitive reporting in Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire

Media DevelopmentApr 4, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Are you a passionate female journalist based in Ghana or Cote d’Ivoire? Do you want to deepen your knowledge, understanding, and skills for more effective gender-sensitive reporting that contributes to women’s empowerment through your work? Here is a unique opportunity for you! The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with support from the French media development agency,…

MFWA to host forum on mis/disinformation and propaganda narratives on Ghana’s 2024 elections

Media and Good GovernanceMar 26, 2024937Views 0Likes 0Comments

Ghana’s democracy continues to show resilience, 32 years after the advent of its Fourth Republic. However, it remains a fact that every election year, the country’s peace architecture comes under significant stress as a result of spirals in intemperate language that directly stem from political campaigning. Stakeholders agree that the escalation in the political temperature…

2023 ended with uptick in attacks as 4th Quarter recorded 9% rise in FOE violations

Freedom of Expression, Press FreedomMar 13, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

The MFWA’s monitoring report for the fourth quarter of 2023 demonstrates a concerning trend of government interference, attacks on journalists, legal harassment, and media censorship, amidst endemic impunity in the region. A total of thirty-nine (39) incidents of freedom of expression violations were recorded. The figure is eight per cent (8%) higher than that of…

IWD2024: Pushing for newsroom policies and culture of equal opportunities for women

Media DevelopmentMar 7, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Globally, research shows that more women, than men, enrol into journalism schools and move on to pursue careers in the journalism vocation. However, it is their male counterparts who dominate senior editorial and managerial positions in many media organisations. This state of gender disparity within newsrooms, is partly what accounts for the dominant masculine news…

Director of TV station survives brutal stabbing attack

Safety of JournalistsMar 2, 20242KViews 0Likes 0Comments

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) strongly condemns the brazen assault on Maïmouna Ndour Faye, director of the television station 7TV, and urges the government to expedite investigations leading to the arrest of the perpetrator. On February 29, 2024, Senegal was shocked by a violent attack on Maïmouna Ndour Faye, owner of the Dakar-based…

Closure of 4 radio stations in Bawku: The wrong approach to doing the right thing

Press FreedomFeb 26, 20242KViews 0Likes 0Comments

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) welcomes as a step in the right direction the decision to shut down four radio stations in the conflict-stricken Bawku Municipality, in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The National Communications Authority (NCA), one of Ghana’s media regulators, announced on February 24, 2024, that it has closed four…

Absence of docket on Ahmed Suale’s murder case shows government indifference

Press Freedom, Safety of JournalistsFeb 21, 20242KViews 0Likes 0Comments

The disclosure by Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister of justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, that his office has received no docket on the murder of Ahmed Suale, is the utmost proof of the state’s lack of commitment to solving the case. “No docket or document fit for prosecution has been built and presented to my office since…

Author page: Kwaku Asante

Kwaku Asante