The President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has emphasised the importance for journalists to fact-check every piece of information they come across as the country prepares to go to the polls on December 7, 2024. According to him, effective fact-checking is non-negotiable going into the general elections.
The GJA boss was speaking at a two-day 'Advanced Course on Disinformation and Fact-checking During the Election Process for Ghanaian Journalists', held at the Embassy of Spain in Accra.
The course is being organised by the Embassy of Spain in Accra and the Casa Africa (Spanish Public Diplomacy Institution) in collaboration with the GJA and Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation.
Albert Dwumfour lamented the rampant spread of false information on social media platforms, now rearing its ugly head in the traditional media. "We are witnessing what some people refer to as exaggerated government achievements where the ruling party is accused of spreading false information about its accomplishments to secure votes and the opposition is criticized for spreading misinformation about the election process to discredit the ruling party. "It must be emphasised that disinformation can be used to deceive and manipulate voters, thereby eroding confidence in our elections.