The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has announced new media accreditation guidelines for the upcoming 2024 elections, restricting access to collation centers to television and radio stations only, while excluding newspapers and online portals.
This decision marks a significant shift from the usual accreditation process, where media outlets could typically access both polling stations and collation centers for comprehensive election coverage. Under the revised policy, only broadcast media—television and radio—will be allowed entry into collation centers, which are critical for the final stages of the vote counting process.
A memo issued on November 25, 2024, and addressed to regional directors, detailed the new accreditation limits. Each constituency collation center will grant access to just eight media organizations, with three television stations (allowing two personnel per station) and five radio stations (permitting one representative per station). At the regional collation centers, access will be granted to a maximum of 12 media organizations, comprising five television stations (two representatives per station) and seven radio stations (one representative per station).
The memo, sent by Samuel Tettey, the EC Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations, did not mention any provisions for newspapers or online media platforms, making it clear that only traditional broadcast outlets will be prioritized. Regional directors have been instructed to submit the names of accredited media outlets by November 24, 2024. The EC has also emphasized that without accreditation, media personnel will not be allowed entry to the collation centers.
This move has raised questions among journalists and media stakeholders, who are concerned about the exclusion of print and digital media from covering this pivotal stage of the election process. However, the EC has justified the decision as a measure to ensure security and maintain control over the election coverage.
