As West Africa marks Workers’ Day 2025 under the theme “Striving for Peace and Stability to Drive Industrialisation, Trade, and Decent Work for Social Justice”, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) urges all stakeholders to take decisive action to address the persistent economic challenges undermining the journalism profession in the region.
In August 2023, the MFWA, in collaboration with the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Ghana, conducted a comprehensive study on the state of the media in Ghana. The report revealed widespread challenges, including inadequate remuneration, limited or non-existent life insurance, and job insecurity affecting many journalists. These issues, while most prominently observed in Ghana, reflect broader structural and financial vulnerabilities within the media sector across the West African subregion.
The study also found that several media organisations, already struggling with declining advertising revenue, have been forced to downsize or shut down, exacerbating unemployment among media professionals. These findings highlight the urgent need for systemic solutions to safeguard the sustainability and vibrancy of the media.
While Ghana’s media continues to be regarded as among the most free and dynamic in the region, its challenges point to deeper issues across West Africa’s 16 countries. It is within this context that the MFWA aligns with the 2025 Workers’ Day theme by the International Trade Union Confederation – Africa, which underscores the importance of peace, decent work, and social justice.
The MFWA believes that decent working conditions for journalists are not only essential for individual livelihoods, but also critical for sustaining democratic governance, transparency, and public accountability. Journalists serve as watchdogs, educators, and defenders against disinformation and misinformation, and they must be adequately supported to fulfil these roles effectively.
We call on governments across the subregion, as major employers and communicators, to play a more proactive role in supporting the media sector. One such intervention is the equitable placement of paid public service advertisements, which could help media organisations remain financially viable.
We also urge civil society organisations to continue advocating for journalists’ rights and welfare. Initiatives such as the MFWA’s West Africa Network of Activists and Media Defence Lawyers (WANAMDEL), which offers legal support to journalists facing threats and harassment, and the Next Generation Investigative Journalism (NGIJ) Fellowships, which provides professional training to young journalists, are steps in the right direction. However, more must be done to improve the broader working environment for media professionals.
Media owners and managers must also embrace innovation by leveraging digital platforms, exploring content monetisation, and diversifying revenue streams to improve sustainability and staff welfare.
On this Workers’ Day, the MFWA reiterates that the economic empowerment of journalists is fundamental to the protection of press freedom and the advancement of democratic values across West Africa. We call on all actors, public, private, and civil society to reflect on these challenges and work together to secure a more sustainable and dignified future for journalism in the region.
