The Minister Designate for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, paid a courtesy visit to Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company (GMABC) Group, owners of Happy FM, YFM, and YTV. The visit was aimed at fostering a stronger relationship between the Ministry and the media conglomerate.

In her remarks, the Minister Designate expressed her gratitude for the warm reception and shared her excitement about building a good relationship with the brand and the media. She acknowledged the responsibilities on her shoulders, including having an interest in the sustainability of media, having a better relationship with the media, and building a laudable ranking of the Press Freedom index.

“I am aware of the responsibilities on my shoulders, and I am trying to build a good relationship with the brand and, by extension, the media.
The press freedom indicators have expanded; to include political context, thus indicator is used to assess the political environment in which journalists work, there is an economic parameter that evaluates the financial sustainability of the media, the sociocultural indicator, which asses the social and cultural environment in which journalists work and all carry the same weight. If you don’t address all in totality, your will ranking will drop and that has been Ghana’s problem since the indicators were expanded.”

The Minister Designate also noted that Ghana has not scored 50% in the Press Freedom rankings for 2024 and emphasized the need for consultation with media owners, media managers, and media associations to address the changing indicators, including economic context, political context, legal framework, social indicators and security.

She commended GMABC for its resilience and success, particularly YFM and Happy FM, which she grew up listening to. She also acknowledged the challenges faced by the media industry, including the proliferation of radio stations and the need for consultation and syndication.

The CEO of GMA Group, Mr. Ernest Boateng, welcomed the Minister Designate and emphasized the importance of responsible journalism in building Ghana’s democracy.

He also assured the company’s commitment to the media industry, stating that “end-to-end communication is crucial, and our brands are ready to assist in ensuring sanity in the system and credible information dissemination.”

Also in attendance were government representatives, senior officials of the Ministry of Information, Directors and heads of departments at GMABC.