Blogging, Content Creation and Journalism: Understanding the Boundaries
By FIIFI NETTEY
28 February 2026
Journalism in Ghana has come a long way from the difficult days of the culture of silence and the era of criminal libel. Today, the media landscape is far more open, vibrant, and diverse. The passage of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989). The repeal of the criminal libel law and the broader liberation of the media space have sparked enormous public interest in media activities across the country.
The framers of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana recognized the power and importance of the media in national development. That is why Chapter 12 is dedicated entirely to the media, acknowledging its role in ensuring citizens have access to accurate, free, and unbiased information.
As the media assumed the unconstitutionally recognised role of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, it became a critical watchdog—holding leaders accountable, helping the public understand national issues, and providing platforms for citizens to express their views on matters of national importance.
In recent times, bloggers and content creators have entered the media space with great influence. Many of them report on issues of public interest, assuming the role of citizen journalists. This shift has been enabled partly by Article 162(3) of the Constitution, which states that no person is required to obtain a licence before establishing or operating a newspaper, journal, or other media outlet. This freedom has opened the door for anyone with basic writing or storytelling skills to participate in public communication.
The expansion of social media has further blurred the lines between traditional journalists and digital content creators. With smartphone and internet access, individuals can report events, express opinions, or break news—activities once reserved for trained journalists.
Although many bloggers and content creators now perform journalism-like functions, it is important to clarify that journalism is a profession grounded in training, standards, and ethics. It is not merely about posting information online. Professional journalists are guided by a strict code of ethics, which demands accuracy, fairness, balance, and objectivity. They do not take sides, fabricate stories, or prioritise sensationalism over truth.
Some content creators believe that the constitutional right to free expression automatically places them in the same category as trained journalists. While Article 21(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech, expression, and the press to all citizens, it does not eliminate the need for professionalism and ethical conduct in journalism.
As journalists, these constitutional provisions guarantee in Article 21(1)(a) is particularly important it underpins both your right to speak / write freely and the right to the media to operate without prior censorship so anybody who writes or creates content on social media wants to associate himself or herself with journalism.
There is nothing wrong with bloggers or content creators engaging in citizen journalism—indeed. They enrich public discourse and diversify the flow of information. However, to be regarded as journalists in the true sense of the word, they must learn the craft. Journalism requires specific skills: news writing, fact checking, interviewing, verification, ethics, media law, and responsible reporting. Not just posting any content on social media.
In a conversation with Kofi, a freelance journalist, he noted that event organizers now seem to value bloggers and content creators more than traditional journalists because of what they describe as “trending and numbers.” Many organizers prioritize online buzz and high engagement numbers over a well-written story published in print or on electronic media.
However, Kofi cautioned that trending is not always meaningful. An event can trend on the wrong platform or among the wrong audience, which may bring little to no real impact. Journalists, on the other hand, focus on telling stories that serve the public interest, ensuring depth, accuracy, and relevance rather than just chasing numbers.
Mr. Francis Kokutse, a veteran journalist with more than four decades of experience, explained that journalists are trained professionals — whether through formal education or learning on the job — to write for established media houses. They are guided by ethics, follow recognised writing standards, and cross-check their facts before publishing information for the public.
Bloggers and, more recently, content creators, emerged mainly through the rise of digitalisation from the mid-1990s. Unlike journalists, many of them are not bound by ethical guidelines, do not follow any established writing style, and often do not prioritise fact checking.
With the rapid growth of social media, bloggers and content creators have expanded significantly and now share the media space with journalists. The development of websites, WordPress, and other digital tools has also helped them compete with traditional media, as digital content spreads and trends more quickly.
These digital platforms also lack gatekeepers, which gives them the freedom to publish without the editorial checks traditional media requires. Journalists, on the other hand, must consider social norms, ethics, and laws before publishing any information.
It is therefore worrying that many event organizers today prefer to rely on bloggers, content creators, and influencers simply because of their large social media followings. What remains unclear is whether these organizers are only interested in trending online.
Evidence shows that some individuals with large followings use bots to artificially boost their online presence, raising questions about whether event organizers truly receive value for their money. While traditional media continues to provide credible and verifiable information, the same cannot always be said for content produced by bloggers and content creators.
Dr. Kwadwo Asong Boateng, a senior lecturer at UNIMAC, explained that social media—often referred to as new media—emerged to deepen democracy. Its purpose, he said, was to break the dominance of large, institutionalised organisations that once controlled the media landscape. When big commercial institutions own the media, they become gatekeepers: they determine which information enters the public sphere and filter content based on their own interests and ideology.
Social media disrupted this model. It opened the space for anyone to access, create, and share information, which lies at the heart of democracy—freedom of expression and speech. Today, with just a mobile phone, individuals can decide what to record and what to publish. Information has been democratised. Everyone can participate in the exchange of ideas, so long as they avoid libel, scandalous content, and the spread of fake news. This openness also makes social media difficult to control.
According to Dr. Boateng, it is not entirely accurate to describe social media users as biased. People simply share information based on their own perspectives, preferences, and values. “I collect and share information from my point of view,” he noted. “So let’s not rush to call it bias.” He added that if a political party owns a media outlet—traditional or digital—it is expected to be partisan and promote its own ideology. Social media has broadened the space, making each person an independent producer, sharer, and publisher of content.
He observed that this shift is visible even in governance. “Today, every minister has a media team following them everywhere,” he said. In communication studies, this phenomenon is known as mediatisation—a process in which individuals become aware of themselves as media actors. As a result, they curate and broadcast their lifestyles and daily activities, controlling what the public sees. They produce their own content and shape their own narratives.
Dr. Boateng recalled that in the early 1990s, scholars warned that social media would challenge traditional journalism—and that prediction has come to pass. Traditional journalists, he argued, are highly trained but often restricted by institutional policies and ownership interests. Bloggers and influencers, on the other hand, are driven by audience numbers and engagement. They enjoy greater flexibility and creative freedom, unlike the traditional media, which is heavily structured and regulated. Their focus is on how much content they can produce and how influential they can become.
Despite this, Dr. Boateng maintained that traditional journalism still holds credibility, and this credibility makes journalists authoritative voices in society. However, the institutional constraints placed on them continue to limit their competitiveness. In many countries, journalists work for established media houses while also running personal blogs and social media accounts to grow their own audiences. This, he believes, may be the way forward for traditional media practitioners.
Despite the changes brought about by digitalisation, traditional media remains the most trusted and reliable source for factual reference.
As the media ecosystem continues to evolve, the challenge is not whether bloggers and content creators should exist—they already do—but whether they are willing to adopt the principles that define ethical journalism.
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FIIFI NETTEY MEDIA CONSULTANT, ACCRA.