New Times Corporation (NTC), formerly known as The Guinea Press Limited, is one of Ghana’s oldest state-run media institutions. Founded in 1957 by the country’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, it initially served as the publishing arm of the Convention People’s Party (CPP). In 1971, it was restructured and rebranded under its current name. Today, NTC publishes two key newspapers—The Ghanaian Times, a daily broadsheet, and The Spectator, a weekend human-interest publication.
Despite its long history, NTC’s relevance and commercial viability have steadily eroded in the face of increasing media competition and shrinking advertising markets.
Media assets
Publishing: The Ghanaian Times, The Spectator
State Media Matrix Typology
Captured Public/State-Managed or State-Owned (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
NTC is a wholly state-owned enterprise, registered with Ghana’s State Enterprises Commission. Its governance framework is tightly linked to the country’s political establishment. The National Media Commission (NMC), which reports to Parliament but operates under significant executive influence, appoints both the Board of Directors and the Managing Director—formally in consultation with the President.
In March 2022, the NMC reconstituted the NTC board, but as of June 2025, no further reshuffles have been officially reported. Industry insiders consulted for this report, however, suggest tensions have been simmering between editorial staff and top management, with calls for modernization and operational transparency growing louder.
Source of funding and budget
NTC operates without direct state subsidies and is expected to sustain itself through advertising and circulation revenues. However, its commercial model remains fragile:
- 2019 Revenue: GHS 12.35 million (approx. US$ 2.4 million)
- 2020 Revenue: GHS 11.97 million, of which 74% came from advertising
- 2023–2024: No audited financials have been made public, but internal sources indicated declining ad revenue and rising overhead costs
- 2025 (YTD): Government audits of state-owned enterprises in May 2025 flagged NTC as “financially underperforming,” prompting Cabinet discussions about potential strategic partnerships or partial outsourcing of printing operations
Efforts to revamp the company’s print infrastructure and adopt a digital-first strategy have reportedly stalled due to limited capital and bureaucratic inertia.
A May 2025 government white paper listed NTC among state media companies requiring “urgent restructuring” due to low returns and shrinking influence.
Editorial independence
NTC’s editorial agenda is widely perceived as aligned with government messaging. The Ghanaian Times, its flagship publication, has often been accused of lacking critical journalism and instead serving as a soft-power arm for ruling party narratives.
A 2024 content analysis conducted for this report found that:
- Government officials were featured in over 60% of front-page stories
- No major critical or investigative reporting on public sector corruption was published over a six-month period
- Opinion pages preponderantly favored state-aligned viewpoints, with no identifiable space for civil society, opposition, or independent commentary
Despite repeated public statements by NTC executives defending their editorial integrity, the lack of statutory protections or third-party oversight mechanisms renders such claims tenuous.
June 2025