The Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, has called on media practitioners to prioritize professionalism and ethical standards as Ghana approaches its next general election.
She stressed the critical role of journalists in maintaining peace and stability and emphasized the importance of ethical journalism to combat misinformation.
The Minister made the call at a two-day capacity-building workshop on election reporting organized by the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) under the auspices of the Ministry of Information in Somanya on Friday, September 13, 2024.
She pointed out the growing global challenge of misinformation and disinformation and how it threatens democratic processes.
She urged journalists to take responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of their reporting, especially in the current digital age, where false information spreads rapidly.
The workshop was under the theme, ‘Empowering journalists for credible elections: Enhancing reporting and fact-checking skills.’
According to her, Reporters Without Borders, the World Economic Forum, and key stakeholders have raised concerns about the adverse effects of misinformation and disinformation and warned that the impact could be even more harmful than the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said, “We’ve been concerned that the space, especially for the online ecosystem, day in and day out with AI and other sophisticated tools, has become even more complicated.”
The Minister acknowledged ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Information to train journalists in collaboration with several organizations, including PRINPAG and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) through the Media Capacity Enhancement Program (MCEP), which has been running its third cohort.
The programme is an initiative aimed at equipping journalists with the skills to navigate the complex media landscape.
She said, “When PRINPAG wanted to put together a training program for its members, I was really excited because we have key responsibilities as media stakeholders.”
“Our 1992 constitution does not censor, but with that freedom comes the responsibility to ensure we are ethical and professional.”
Fati Abubakar also emphasized the importance of fact-checking during political coverage. Drawing on a recent example from the U.S. presidential debate, she praised how moderators fact-checked candidates’ claims in real-time and encouraged Ghanaian journalists to adopt similar practices to prevent the spread of false information.
The Minister pleaded with journalists to protect Ghana’s peace and stability through responsible reporting, especially during elections. She warned against allowing misinformation to fuel conflict, referencing international examples where rumors led to violence.
“Of what use is a president if there is no Ghana? At all costs, the brand Ghana, the peace, the security, the stability, and everything that will make us have a country after an election should be prioritized ahead of our individual and personal interests,” she urged.
The Minister assured PRINPAG of the Ministry’s continued support for future training programs, underscoring the government’s commitment to ethical journalism.