Media houses must have accountability systems to receive grants – George Sarpong

Media houses seeking grants from the Media Development Fund must have accountability systems, the Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC), George Sarpong, said.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, he said transparent funding rules must be matched by accountability within the organisations receiving support.

“If we are going to give a grant to any media organisation, that media organisation itself must have systems that support accountability.”

His comments follow President John Mahama’s announcement of GH¢10 million in seed funding for the reactivated Media Development Fund in the 2027 budget.

The fund is intended to support journalists’ welfare, training, investigative journalism, digital literacy and safety programmes.

Mr Sarpong said the fund’s managers must establish clear procedures for deciding who receives support.

“That governance architecture that we create must also in turn develop very transparent mechanisms for grants or awards.”

He proposed using evidence of a media house’s work to assess its application. He pointed to the NMC’s Credibility Measurement Index, which tracked coverage of issues including children, agriculture and health.

He explained that the approach could help establish whether an applicant had demonstrated commitment to the area for which it sought funding.

“So, if somebody applies for support for, say, developing or improving their coverage of maternal health, we already know that this is a media house that is committed to that enterprise, and therefore, if we supported them, it could enhance their work.”

Mr Sarpong also cautioned against building a large administrative structure around the fund.

“We need to decide whether we want to create a bureaucracy around this fund. That won't be my best suggestion.”

Instead, he proposed a small committee of credible professionals, accountable to the profession through its stakeholders.

Members should understand fund management, the media’s changing needs and what would improve the industry. He also called for people with fundraising skills to help attract additional contributions.

For Mr Sarpong, the fund's operations should be underpinned by credible management, transparent grant decisions, and accountable beneficiaries.