Abstract

The West African country of Ghana is a hotbed of both religion and journalism. Journalism was freed from political restrictions when Ghana transitioned from military dictatorship to multiparty democracy in 1992. Ghana’s religious landscape is as vibrant as her media terrain, and religion and politics compete fiercely for journalistic attention. Ghana has a Christian population of 70%, and new Christian communities deploy media extensively for their activities. Secular media also take active interest in the work of these churches. Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams of the Action Chapel International and Pastor Mensa Otabil of the International Central Gospel Church are two of the charismatic stalwarts in Ghana, whose media ministries are also well known in other parts of the continent. Archbishop Duncan-Williams’ public prayer for resuscitating the dwindling fortunes of the country’s currency and Pastor Otabils’ sermon to support an opposition stance on free high education constitute two examples of the intersection between religion and the public sphere in Ghana that attracted the interests of journalists. The two developments serve as case studies illustrating the critical importance of the relationship between religion and journalism in a developing African economy such as Ghana.