SECTOR 1 In fact, particularly on radio, there is concern that the media may “go overboard”, with, “stories being exaggerated, blown out of proportion, and ‘massaged’” to attract additional listeners. “There is an element to our media practice, where we allow phone-ins and text messaging, and this has become so much accepted, that it has become the occupation of some people to text views and make phone-ins. This certainly promotes citizen journalism.” There are, however, various limitations to this freedom; citizens feel more open expressing strong opinions in private than in public, officials who provide information do not want to be named, and family pressures may be placed on a person to not speak out because of the “transferred malice on those associated with you”. Despite constitutional guarantees, journalists too, “do not dare to do certain stories.” “The cost of living is biting, the economic climate has gotten worse; there’s a high level of dependence on a few income earners, and high unemployment. In situations like this, people are careful when they have to open their mouths in public.” Although the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed in the constitution, this right is not always asserted without fear. “The very powerful people and those with nothing to lose are able to exercise [do so] without fear. But if for example, you go to a school with terrible infrastructure, that school’s principal will be scared to speak about those conditions because they don’t want to offend political class or government, as they fear losing their jobs.” Instead, they will say things like “it will give me problems if I speak on this, it may affect my job or my business, and so forth.” This compromises the quality of reporting, because experts on certain issues may not speak out, even to simply provide context, for fear of negatively impacting their careers. Politicians are then sought to respond to issues, “The content suffers and listeners are misled somehow.” Journalists, too, have faced intimidation, including by the police, for expressing themselves in their professional and or private capacity. Media practitioners on the panel noted receiving death threats from those who do not agree with what they have said or published. There are other factors that affect freedom of expression. From a cultural standpoint, in assessing who is free to speak and accepted for expressing his or her views, freedom of expression varies based on age, sex, etc. “From a gender perspective, women would not be tolerated when they say certain things in public. We need to think about who is free to speak. There was a programme on Peace FM, for example, in which a lady participated very freely. But then people felt that she shouldn’t be saying certain things as a woman, and started calling her names and insulting her.” 14 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GHANA 2017