At The Ringside
About The Book
For more than thirty years, David Ampofo has created a platform that interrogated institutional structures and government policies. As a journalist, his early training at the political leadership school, Escuela Nicolás López in Havana, Cuba, strengthened a patriotic and unapologetic approach to journalism and media. Over a career that has taken him from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to CBS News, Walter Judds, and The Observer, David has had a front-row seat to some of the most compelling political dialogues. In his native Ghana, his distinctive storytelling and investigative work became a respected avenue for public information across the country.
At the Ringside highlights David Ampofo’s unique journey in Ghanaian media through the use of in-depth conversations, rigorous questioning, and honest introspection to cut through politics and bring national issues into the public spotlight. He navigated complex human stories with empathy, and his work marked a defining era in Ghanaian broadcasting, where journalism was not merely the pursuit of a story, but a responsibility to empower society and help shape public understanding.
The book At the Ringside paints a vivid portrait of what drove David Ampofo through his work on popular prime-time current affairs programmes such as Searchlight, Time with David, and Carte Blanche. Beyond the microphone and the camera, what fuels David’s unapologetic advocacy is a deep desire to make a real impact rather than sit on the sidelines and watch his country unravel at the seams.
From his vantage point, making a meaningful difference in Ghana’s democratic evolution will require “freeing ourselves from the grip of hyper-partisanship and cultivating a forward-looking mindset. In his own words, “It will require each of us to step forward with every talent we possess and every resource we can offer, to lift our voices, and to participate actively in building the country we know it can become.”
“At the Ringside sucks the reader into the gripping whirlwind of a nation at odds with itself, struggling to meet its destiny between the mid-1980s and the first two decades of the 21st century. David Ampofo had his finger on the pulse of political and economic happenings in Africa through unparalleled access to the movers and shakers of the time. Out of this, he has distilled a thrilling saga that reflects his own evolution from daring inquisitor to savvy, spellbinding storyteller. What happens when he leaps from the ringside into the arena to pitch for his convictions and ambitions? The force of David Ampofo›s truth is deepened because he shares unadulterated vulnerabilities side by side with memorable nuggets of insight. And in all this, his spirit keeps hope vibrantly alive!”
Esi Sutherland-Addy
Professor of African Studies / Pan African Cultural and Human Rights Activist
REVIEWS
“David has been a candle and a mirror to Ghanaian society. His microphone has told what he sees with blunt intellect. His credibility has opened doors to leaders in business, politics and society in general. He tells it as he heard and saw it in this book.”
Dr Papa Kwesi NduomChairman, Groupe Nduom
“This book is a globally significant effort which should be in every serious research library concerned with African and global affairs. At the Ringside primarily refers to the author›s work as a leading Ghanaian and African journalist. In fact, the book often takes us inside the ring in unique, powerful ways. The privileged portrait of the enigmatic Ghanaian leader Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings is, in my carefully considered view, by far the best publicly available today.”
Dr Amos AnyimaduAfrica Next Knowledge Brokerage & Interaction
“At the Ringside is a fascinating and most insightful book written by a versatile and brilliant journalist and communicator, David Ampofo. He gives a rare and credible firsthand account of his unique life journey and key moments and episodes in recent Ghanaian history. Very difficult to put down.”
Fritz BaafourFormer Minister for Information & MP
“David Ampofo is a man of high integrity and intellectual depth, widely respected for a work ethic that prioritizes truth over sensationalism. His flagship show “Time with David,” with its blend of sharp inquiry, curiosity, and a focus on national development, redefined Ghanaian journalism.”
Patrick Awuah Founder & President, Ashesi University
“Political treatise, masquerading as a memoir.”
Professor ABK Dadzie University of Ghana
“Ever since I’ve known David he has been brave – or foolhardy – enough to ask the most difficult questions. Whether to irascible country leaders at the UN, masked clan members in Lagos, or goldminers buried half underground in Ashanti, it matters not. This is a rollercoaster of a book. David’s burning intellect and relentless focus on how we can improve people’s lives gives urgency to every page.”
Toby BurtonVice President, Cisco
“David is passionate and tenacious with whatever subject or project he tackles . . . the original disruptive innovator and almost restless in his creativity. He consistently asks the “What If ” and “So What” questions to elicit the fuller appreciation of one’s position. No doubt his exposure to world class leaders and experience and his intuitive curiosity make conversations with David a most pleasant learning experience.”
Felix Addo PwC / Founder & President, CIRIP
“This is a fascinating account of the personal and professional development of an outstanding figure among his generation of Ghanaian journalists who forged a reputation for critical engagement with issues of public interest. David Ampofo’s story is also about the evolution of the Ghanaian media landscape from state control in the 1980s into being one of the most liberal in Africa following the establishment of the 4th Republic in 1992. In a sense this engaging autobiography is a useful contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the complex legacy of Jerry Rawlings and his years of national
leadership.”
Dr Yao GrahamThird World Network-Africa
“David shares his experiences – what he’s learnt along the way, how he’s learnt it and how that learning has shaped him. He brings his thoughts, based on his experiences, to where he would like to see changes and why. Hidden just below the surface of his words is his deep empathy for those that need help and his sense of what’s right and what’s wrong.”
Jeff Sloley
“I always thought of David as an accomplished man of letters with profound character. I watched him advocate for openness and integrity in the country›s nascent oil industry.”
Lorin BoydOil Executive, Houston
“At the Ringside is a fascinating account of many of the seminal events that occurred in Ghana, and on the wider continent, in the last forty years. Invariably, it is a meditation on the country’s opportunities, some gained, but many missed.”
Kweku AwotwiFormer CEO, Volta River Authority
“If there is one person whose vantage point has profoundly shaped his work, it is David Ampofo. Much of his life and career was defined at the intersection of global leadership, politics, and governance, yet his work in media was always anchored by an enduring commitment to journalism as a tool for advocacy. In more ways than one, At the Ringside is a deeply personal and thoughtful reflection on some of the most compelling moments in Ghana’s political landscape.”
Dr Eric Obeng EdmondsUniversity of Southern California, Los Angeles