The Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, says the nation will tackle misinformation and disinformation with accurate and timely information rather than censorship.
He explained that even though the spread of falsehoods, deepfakes and coordinated disinformation campaigns threatened national security, public health and democratic governance, censorship was not a solution because it only bred more suspicion and drove information underground.
“But let us be clear. A distinction must be struck between censorship and appropriate law enforcement response to the misuse of platforms to commit crimes and foster social discord.
As a government, we remain acutely aware of the need to act swiftly to stem the tide of misinformation,” he said.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu was speaking at the commemoration of this year’s World Press Freedom Day in Accra last Wednesday, co-hosted by the British High Commission in Ghana and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana.
The event brought together government officials, diplomats, journalists, media practitioners and civil society actors to discuss press freedom, misinformation and democratic resilience.
Commitment
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the government remained committed to protecting journalists, upholding media pluralism and ensuring that no reporter was harassed, detained or threatened for carrying out lawful duties.
He added that the government would continue implementing the Right to Information Act fully because transparency was a right and not a favour.
The government’s spokesperson also urged journalists to uphold ethics, integrity, accuracy and fairness in their work, stressing that sensationalism, unverified allegations and hate speech were harmful to society.
“Democracy is not a gift that lasts forever. It is a practise that must be renewed every day, and journalism is one of the daily practises that keeps it alive.
Guests at the event
We need to protect the press, defend the truth and strengthen our democratic resilience where citizens can disagree without being enemies, and facts remain common ground,” he said.
Essential pillars
The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Dr Christian Rogg, said a free, independent and pluralistic media was essential for protecting peace, democracy and public trust at a time when misinformation and disinformation posed increasing threats globally.
Dr Rogg, however, cautioned that even countries with long-standing traditions of press freedom, including Ghana and the United Kingdom, were vulnerable to the dangers posed by fake news, online propaganda and declining trust in information systems.
He cited the spread of false information during the COVID-19 pandemic, violence in the United Kingdom following misinformation shared online and the use of fake stories to inflame tensions in conflicts such as Bawku as examples of the dangers of disinformation.
“Press freedom is not self-sustaining. It requires vigilance, partnership and political will.
And today is not just about marking this particular day, but it’s also about renewing our shared commitment.
And that is a commitment to truth, a commitment to accountability, and a commitment to the democratic values that depend on a free press,” he said.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, Jeroen Verheul, praised Ghana’s commitment to press freedom, saying discussions were being held among people who already appreciated its democratic value.
He further indicated that the nation’s ranking on the World Press Freedom Index showed progress, although there was still room for improvement.
Mr Verheul said journalists globally continued to face threats from organised crime, including even in the Netherlands which ranked second on the index, amid corporate interests and legal intimidation aimed at suppressing stories.
He stressed the need to protect investigative journalists and ensure accountability for attacks against them, citing the unresolved murder of Ahmed Suale as a concern requiring attention.
The event featured a panel discussion which examined misinformation and disinformation in the country’s evolving media landscape, highlighting AI-generated content, algorithm-driven virality, monetisation incentives and declining journalistic standards as key threats.
Experts stressed the need for stronger fact-checking, platform accountability, improved regulation and collaboration among media, security agencies and tech companies to protect information integrity and democracy.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh