Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) is a large publisher in Ghana whose history goes back to 1964 when Mirror Group was sold by its private owners to the Ghana government. In 1999, the company was renamed Graphic Communications Group Ltd. GCGL publishes several newspapers, some of them with high popularity, including Daily Graphic and The Mirror.
Media assets
Publishing: Graphic Online, The Mirror, Graphic Showbiz, Graphic Sports, Junior Graphic, Graphic Business, Nsɛmpa
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Public/State-Managed or State-Owned (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
GCGL is a wholly state-owned registered media company. Its highest governing structure is the board of directors, whose members are appointed by the government-controlled National Media Commission (NMC) in consultation with the President. The president also appoints GCGL’s managing director.
In April 2024, the Cabinet approved plans discussed earlier to float part of the government’s shares in GCGL on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). The move is an attempt to secure an injection of capital into the company to allow it to boost its operations at a time when competition from other media is intensifying. The move is expected to make the company more transparent and independent, which are necessary conditions to raise fresh cash on the stock exchange.
Source of funding and budget
GCGL, though wholly owned by the state, is independent of government support. In fact, the company pays dividends to the government annually. According to local journalists and experts, advertising and newspaper sales account for 52% and 48% of the company’s turnover. In 2019, GCGL had a turnover of GHS 71.34m (US$ 13.9m), according to company data. In 2020, GCGL reported a loss of GHS 1.94m, a major decline from the previous year when it earned a profit of GHS 1.41m, according to data from the company. According to a government report, the company pulled in revenues of GHS 57.42m in 2020.
Editorial independence
GCGL is known to be editorially controlled by the government through the National Media Commission, which appoints the publisher’s management. An ad hoc content analysis also identified a strong bias in the content published by the newspapers run by GCGL, especially the Daily Graphic, with articles promoting the government and its activities. No criticism of authorities was identified.
No domestic statute and no independent oversight or assessment mechanism to validate the editorial independence of GCGL’s publications have been identified.
July 2024