Journalist and New Patriotic Party (NPP) member Gordon Asare-Bediako has said relations between the party’s communication machinery and the media have significantly deteriorated since 2016, warning that the party may struggle to rebuild trust ahead of future elections.

Gordon Asare-Bediako, who is seeking to become the party’s national communications director, said the relationship between journalists and the communication directorate had previously been “about 80 percent” effective but had since “broken down.”

Speaking on Asaase 107.3 FM’s “Atumpan” programme, he dismissed suggestions that the strained relations were driven by financial constraints.

“If anybody attributes this to financial issues, then I dare say this is not accurate,” he said.

He added that former President Nana Akufo-Addo had made arrangements to financially support media engagement under the communication structure, though he said the arrangement later stalled.

According to him, some government appointees and communicators had distanced themselves from journalists, weakening engagement between the administration and the media.

“At some point, it stopped. Some became furious and questioned the source,” he said.

Asare-Bediako also claimed that approval ratings for the government had dropped to about 30 per cent, cautioning that the party would struggle to regain the confidence of the media if relations were not improved.