The Eastern Regional Director for the Electoral Commission, Mr. Baffoe has shared deep concerns on the proliferation of fake news in the media lately.
He believes that this worrying phenomenon poses serious threat to our democracy.
“There has been a proliferation of fake news on social media, print media, and electronic media all aimed at damaging the credibility of the Electoral Commission (EC)” Mr. Baffle said.
He added, ‘In fact, fake news is a major challenge to the delivery of free and fair elections’.
The Director made these claims at a two-day workshop in Somanya.
Hon. Fatimatu Abubakar, Minister for Information, guest speaker at the workshop also shared similar sentiments on how journalists must be mindful of the contents they share to the public.
She mentioned that “After an election, we still need a country called Ghana. The brand and security of Ghana must be prioritised over personal or political interests”.
The Minister warned that disinformation can lead to dire outcomes which may be difficult to manage.
“Once misinformation starts to spiral, you may not be able to control its effects” Hon. Abubakar asserted.
The two-day workshop was organised by the Private Newspaper and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG).
The workshop was designed to equip members of PRINPAG on best practices when it comes to election reportage as captured in the theme ‘Empowering Journalists for Credible Elections: Enhancing Reporting and Fact-Checking Skills’.
The President of PRINPAG, Mr. Andrew Edwin Arthur expressed concerns on how fragmentation, avarice, unnecessary politicisation, prejudice, and disregard for professional standards are undermining the media’s role as the Fourth Estate of the realm.
“These negative practices have eroded the media’s standing as te Fourth Estate and led to decreased patronage, especially of private newspapers. Urgent action is needed to reverse these trends or the consequences for the industry will be dire” Mr. Arthur stressed.
Ultimately, the workshop presented an opportunity for Editors, journalists, and reporters to reevaluate their roles in upholding the democracy of the land.
