Media Trust & Credibility Index
A Paper Merchant research initiative examining trust and credibility across Ghana's media ecosystem.
We have more information available than ever, but less certainty about what to trust.
Media influence is no longer concentrated. The sources shaping public opinion have fundamentally changed.
Yet when we talk about media performance, we usually start with reach. For decades, the value of a media house has largely been understood through the size of the audience it can command.
In this age of technological disruption, trust and credibility now have commercial and societal value.
Video to be supplied
Reserved 16:9 space for the MTCI film.
In an environment where attention is fragmented and audiences are increasingly selective about what they believe, reach alone is no longer enough to understand media influence.
This is the gap MTCI seeks to address.
What if trust and credibility could be measured with the same seriousness as reach?
Context
Ghana's media environment is diverse and reaches audiences across radio, television, print, and the internet. That reach sits behind the need to measure trust and credibility. The figures below are public landscape context, not MTCI research findings.
Landscape
TV stations
FM stations
| Category | Authorised | Operational |
|---|---|---|
| TV stations | 170 | 124 |
| FM stations | 793 | 571 |
Broadcast figures: National Communications Authority (NCA), Second Quarter 2026.
Ghana media landscape context. TV stations: 170 authorised, 124 operational. FM stations: 793 authorised, 571 operational. Broadcast figures from NCA Q2 2026.
Access
Channels overlap; percentages are not shares of a single total. Figures supplied in the MTCI brief; source confirmation pending.
90%
Access to Radio
70%
Access to TV
74.6%
Internet Users
| Channel | Access |
|---|---|
| Access to Radio | 90% |
| Access to TV | 70% |
| Internet Users | 74.6% |
Media landscape context, not MTCI research findings.
Media access as three independent doughnut charts, each on its own 100 percent scale. Access to Radio: 90 percent. Access to TV: 70 percent. Internet Users: 74.6 percent. Channels overlap; percentages are not shares of a single total. Figures supplied in the MTCI brief; source confirmation pending.
Trend
| Series | Q3 2025 | Q4 2025 | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV | 132 | 132 | 132 | 124 |
| FM | 552 | 563 | 563 | 571 |
Operational counts: NCA quarterly FM/TV lists and statistical bulletins (Q3 2025–Q2 2026). Counts describe stations on air, not financial sustainability or reasons for going off air.
Operational stations over time. TV operational counts: 132, 132, 132, 124 across Q3 2025, Q4 2025, Q1 2026, Q2 2026. FM operational counts: 552, 563, 563, 571. Labels follow the embedded chart (TV declining from 132 to 124; FM rising from 552 to 571). Operational counts alone do not prove financial sustainability.
A proprietary annual research report designed to measure, understand, and track how audiences perceive trust and credibility across the media ecosystem.
Our ambition is to build the definitive reference point for media trust and credibility.
MTCI examines how trust and credibility work across Ghana's media ecosystem.
Intended benefits for organisations and communities engaging with the research, not claimed results.
Gain insights into media trust to refine communication strategies, enhance reputation, and improve stakeholder engagement.
Inform investment decisions by understanding public perception and media portrayal, fostering confidence in supported organisations.
Assess their standing and identify areas for improvement to support audience engagement and loyalty.
Understand public sentiment to guide policy and regulatory frameworks that promote transparency.
Use findings to study media influence and public perception, contributing to academic knowledge.
Benefit from a more transparent media landscape that supports informed choices and greater trust in the media.
The Media Trust & Credibility Index is Paper Merchant's flagship initiative. The research focuses on understanding trust from the consumer point of view and credibility from the media regulatory perspective.
Consumer trust
Trust
How audiences perceive and place trust in media: the consumer point of view.
Media credibility
Credibility
How credibility is understood within the media regulatory perspective.
30 min
Surveys and interviews
90+
Media organisations
10,000+
Media consumers nationwide
The research consists of 30-minute surveys and interviews across over 90 media organisations and over 10,000 media consumers nationwide.
Learn how MTCI can help organisations and institutions navigate the complexities of Ghana's media landscape.
Email connection pending
Online briefing requests are disabled until email delivery is configured. Contact mtci@papermerchantglobal.com directly.