The Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) has expressed strong reservations about the government’s proposed Misinformation, Disinformation, Hate Speech and Publication of Other Information Bill (MDHI), warning that the legislation could undermine freedom of expression and the country’s democratic values if passed in its current form.
In a statement issued in Accra on Thursday, PRINPAG acknowledged the growing challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech in the media and digital spaces but questioned the necessity and clarity of the proposed bill.
“It remains unclear what specific gap in the current legal framework the bill seeks to address or what mischief it intends to cure,” the Association said.
According to PRINPAG, Ghana’s existing laws — including the 1992 Constitution, the Defamation Act, the Criminal Offences Act, and the Electronic Communications Act — already contain adequate provisions to safeguard privacy, ensure responsible communication, and penalize hate speech. It also pointed out that the media industry operates under ethical frameworks established by the National Media Commission (NMC), the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), and PRINPAG itself.
The statement emphasized that Ghana’s challenge lies not in the absence of legislation but in the inconsistent and politically selective enforcement of existing laws, which has often eroded public trust in governance and threatened media independence.
“Even without such a bill, journalists have faced intimidation, harassment, and arrest for fulfilling their constitutional duty to hold power to account,” PRINPAG noted, adding that the proposed law could be used by future regimes to suppress dissent and stifle free speech.
The Association cautioned that any new legislation must be crafted to resist potential misuse by governments that may not uphold democratic principles. It warned that the MDHI Bill, in its current form, appears vulnerable to manipulation and could easily become a tool for censorship.
While confirming that it is still reviewing the bill’s contents, PRINPAG called on the government to suspend further consideration until a broad-based consultation is held with stakeholders from the media, civil society, and legal communities.
The Association reaffirmed its commitment to promoting ethical journalism and protecting the integrity of Ghana’s democratic discourse.
“Rather than introducing legislation that risks undermining the freedoms we have fought hard to secure, we must strengthen the existing frameworks and institutions that already guarantee those freedoms,” PRINPAG urged.
The proposed MDHI Bill, which government officials say aims to curb the spread of false information and hate speech, has yet to be made public for stakeholder review. However, civil society groups and media advocates have warned that such legislation, if poorly designed, could erode Ghana’s hard-won reputation as a leader in press freedom in Africa.
