The Africa Coalition for Academic Freedom, established in August last year, is intensifying efforts to monitor and promote academic freedom across the continent.
The organization, which documents both violations and success stories related to academic freedom, is calling for stronger partnerships with the media to amplify its impact.
Speaking at a training workshop for journalist organized by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Associate Professor at the University of Ghana School of Law, Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, highlighted the importance of educating journalists on the concept of academic freedom.
“When the media understands what academic freedom truly means, they can better contextualize and report on issues affecting academics in ways that resonate with the public. Academics demand certain freedoms not because they live in high places but because they require a conducive environment to conduct meaningful research,” he said.
Prof. Appiagyei-Atua, who also serves as the regional director for the coalition, urged media practitioners to recognize their shared stake in academic freedom, noting that both the press and academia draw their rights from the broader principle of freedom of expression.
Mr. Zakariah Musah Tanko, a lecturer at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), also emphasized the interdependence of freedom of expression, media freedom, and academic freedom, calling them essential pillars of a healthy democracy and societal progress.
He noted that protecting these freedoms is crucial for fostering public discourse. Academic institutions, he explained, are vital to democratic societies because of their role in conducting critical research. He added that the media must recognize that the effective functioning of academia directly reinforces the media’s own role in a democratic society.
The legal practitioner called on civil society, governments, and especially the media to help safeguard academic freedom, describing it as a cornerstone of democracy, human rights, and sustainable development.
Messages of support were delivered by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), and the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG).
 | ReplyForwardAdd reaction |
