The last UNESCO World Press Freedom Day was held in Accra, Ghana. UNESCO research fellow Alec Cowan attended, reported and experienced the wide swath of stories with journalist from around the globe. Alec sits down with Peter Laufer and Chris Chavez to discuss his time in Ghana and his reflections on the free press.
“Independence Arch” sits before Black Star Square on the Accra beachfront. It celebrates Ghana’s independence from colonial Great Britain (Alec Cowan/Crossings Institute).
The Jamestown lighthouse sits in the colonial district of Accra, still known as Jamestown today (Alec Cowan/Crossings Institute).
The Cape Coast Castle is a slave fort occupied by the British until Ghanaian independence. Slaves were held and sold here to be sent to the Americas (Alec Cowan/Crossings Institute).
The International Youth Newsroom featured young journalists from Kenya, Ghana, Indonesia, Morocco, Algeria and many more (Alec Cowan/Crossings Radio).
Panelists speak to the crowd during the opening plenary session of World Press Freedom Day. They spoke on the importance of a free press as journalists abroad face threats of violence and control (Alec Cowan/Crossings Radio).
President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo gives an address to those in attendance at the celebratory banquet (Alec Cowan/Crossings Radio)
The University of Ghana (Alec Cowan/Crossings Radio).
Traditional Ghanaian fishing boats are still used each day in Accra (Alec Cowan/Crossings Radio).
The Elmina Slave Castle was the seat of Portuguese power in the region for hundreds of years. It could hold up to 1,000 slaves at a time and is the oldest structure in Africa south of the Sahara Desert (Alec Cowan/Crossings Radio).
Some of the U.S. delegation to World Press Freedom Day stand with some of the Ghanian cohort of the International Youth Newsroom (Alec Cowan/Crossings Radio).
