The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from the Government of Japan has held a two-day training for selected journalists and bloggers on fact-checking and conflict-sensitive reporting.
It was to ensure that they effectively countered misinformation, disinformation and malinformation that drove violence to promote peace within their jurisdictions.
The training, held in Tamale, brought together 25 journalists and bloggers from the Upper East and Savannah Regions.
It was under the UNDP Ghana’s “Preventive Approach to Protecting Development in the Gulf of Guinea (Prevention Facility)” project.
Ms. Melody Azinim, Peace and Governance Analyst at UNDP Ghana, speaking during the training, highlighted the role of the media in promoting peace.
She urged participants to verify facts and share credible information, emphasising the need for sensitivity during conflict reporting.
Mr. Albert Futukpor, Northern Regional Secretary, Ghana Journalists Association, emphasised the need for journalists and bloggers to exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
He said: “Our work must be grounded in truth, guided by the ethics of accuracy, impartiality and responsibility, especially when we are reporting on issues related to ethnicity, religion, chieftaincy, land disputes and political rivalry.”
He noted that journalists and bloggers held the power to shape narratives, influence public discourse and foster national unity or, on the reverse, if responsibilities were not handled carefully.
He said the spread of fake news, half-truths and inflammatory content had become a daily threat to peace in the era of social media and rapid information sharing; hence fact-checking and conflict-sensitive reporting were no longer optional skills but rather essential professional obligations.
Mr. Futukpor urged participants to elevate the standards of journalism and reaffirm their role as gatekeepers of truth, ambassadors of peace and defenders of development.
