Ghanaian newspapers and Accra media online

Ghana's press is written mainly in English, built around the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times, websites such as MyJoyOnline, Citi Newsroom and GhanaWeb, the public broadcaster GBC and Twi-language FM stations, nearly all of them free to access online.

From the Gold Coast to Accra: a long press history

Under the British colony of the Gold Coast, African-owned newspapers were already campaigning for self-rule. The Daily Graphic was born in Accra in 1950, seven years before independence in 1957, and Kwame Nkrumah launched the Ghanaian Times in 1958 to speak for the new state.

Daily Graphic and Ghanaian Times, two state-owned dailies

The Daily Graphic, published by the Graphic Communications Group, remains the most widely circulated and most quoted national daily. The Ghanaian Times is also state-owned. Their institutional tone is best read alongside private dailies such as Daily Guide or The Chronicle.

English, Twi, Ewe, Ga: which languages to read and hear?

English dominates the written word, from the dailies to the websites. On air, many FM stations in Accra and Kumasi broadcast in Twi, while Ewe, Ga, Dagbani and Hausa find room on regional radio and in some GBC programmes across the country.

Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi: news from the regions

Outside Accra, regional news travels mostly through FM stations in Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi or Cape Coast and through Daily Graphic and GNA correspondents. The regional sections of the big websites report land disputes, mining projects and the life of traditional chieftaincies.

MyJoyOnline, Citi Newsroom, GhanaWeb: digital first

Ghana's digital news scene is organised around broadcasting groups: MyJoyOnline extends Joy FM of the Multimedia Group, Citi Newsroom relays Citi FM and Citi TV, and 3News carries TV3 content. GhanaWeb, Modern Ghana and Pulse Ghana aggregate wire stories, opinion pieces and social topics.

The Ghana News Agency, the national wire since 1957

Founded in the very year of independence, the Ghana News Agency distributes English-language reports from all sixteen administrative regions. Its stories on district assemblies, the courts and official ceremonies are often reproduced word for word by the dailies and by private news websites.

GBC, Ghana's public radio and television

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation traces its roots to radio station ZOY, founded in 1935 under colonial rule, and its GTV television channel appeared in 1965. Its website gathers TV bulletins, Uniiq FM radio and sports broadcasts, with close coverage of institutions and the regions.

What do Ghanaians in London or New York read?

Ghanaians living in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany or the Netherlands follow home mainly through GhanaWeb, Modern Ghana and Joy FM's live streams. Their opinion sections carry many pieces signed from London, Toronto or Hamburg by members of the diaspora.

Cocoa, gold and the Black Stars: business and sports titles

The Business and Financial Times, known as B&FT, follows the Bank of Ghana, cocoa and gold closely. On the sports side, Graphic Sports and the sports pages of Citi and Joy cover the Black Stars and the clubs Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.

Press freedom under the 1992 Constitution

The 1992 Constitution guarantees media independence, and criminal libel was repealed in 2001. Attacks on journalists are still reported, including the January 2019 killing in Accra of investigative reporter Ahmed Hussein-Suale. The National Media Commission regulates the sector and handles complaints.

Reading for free and cross-checking stories

Most Ghanaian sites remain free, though the Daily Graphic offers a paid digital edition. To cross-check, compare a state outlet with a private one, then turn to neighbours such as French-language Ivorian journalism or the press of neighbouring Togo, which also watch the border.

Placing Ghana within the West African press

Ghana shares with Nigeria a dense English-language press and a strong radio culture. To widen your reading, compare with Nigeria's newspapers and browse the directory of the African press, which also covers Burkina Faso, a fellow ECOWAS member like Ghana.

How to follow Ghanaian news from abroad

1. Start the day with the Daily Graphic for institutional news, then MyJoyOnline or Citi Newsroom for rolling political and social coverage.
2. Add Ghana News Agency reports for the regions, the courts and official announcements from the government in Accra.
3. Listen live to Joy FM, Citi FM or GBC radio for the morning debate shows that Ghanaians follow closely.
4. Set up alerts on the names of ministers, the Bank of Ghana or the cedi to track inflation and the currency.
5. Compare a state title such as the Ghanaian Times with a private daily such as Daily Guide to balance political angles.
6. Check the date and source of every article shared on WhatsApp, a major channel for spreading news in Ghana.

Access and subscriptions for Ghanaian media

Key facts about Ghanaian media

• Main press language: English; radio also in Twi, Ewe, Ga and Dagbani
• News agency: Ghana News Agency (GNA), founded in 1957
• Public broadcaster: Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and its GTV channel
• Leading daily: Daily Graphic; business title: B&FT; sport: Graphic Sports
• Regulator: National Media Commission
• Time zone: GMT (UTC+0), no daylight saving time
• Currency for local subscriptions: Ghanaian cedi (GHS)

Common traps when reading the Ghanaian press

• Mistaking a fake site imitating MyJoyOnline or the Daily Graphic for the original; check the domain name and look for named journalists.
• Treating an opinion piece on GhanaWeb or Modern Ghana as verified news, when it is really the view of a reader or an activist.
• Forgetting that the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times are state-owned and that some private titles lean towards a party.
• Sharing an old article about power cuts, known locally as dumsor, as if it described the current state of the grid.
• Judging national opinion from English-language sites alone, without listening to the Twi radio stations that reach a large audience.

Questions about Ghana's newspapers and radio