SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 5.0 (2006:n/a; 2008:n/a; 2011:4.8; 2013:4.8) 1.10 Civil society in general and media lobby groups actively advance the cause of media freedom. A small number of civil society actors actively advance the cause of media freedom, with the most notable groups being the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). Advancing the cause of media freedom has become more complex in past years, due to the nature of increasingly tabloid-style reporting that may often forego media ethics. “Media advocacy should hold a balance between free and responsible media.” Recently, three journalists were sentenced for contempt of court. “Everyone was condemning what they had done, as they had persistently carried content that by any fair standards was close to hate speech.” Following their criticism of Supreme Court judges and the court justice on electoral commission issues, the three were brought before the Supreme Court for contempt of court and were handed custodial sentences of about 3 months each. Their media houses were also fined. “In the history of Ghana, this was probably the most harsh sentence on the media,” and divided the media fraternity because, on one hand, it dealt a blow to media freedom, while on the other hand, this freedom was seen as having gone to the extent of irresponsible and unethical reporting. Following a petition, a reprieve was given by the president for early release. Panellists also noted that some media advocacy groups are selective about when to speak out on media freedoms, seemingly forgetting about the cause to protect free expression when it impacts them negatively. 22 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GHANA 2017