As Ghana approaches the 2024 elections, the spread of misinformation and disinformation poses a serious threat to democracy. Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns over the growing trend of distorting information online to target political opponents, which could undermine the country’s democratic processes. Media professionals, often carriers of information, have inadvertently contributed to the spread of false narratives.
In response, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) collaborated with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) as part of this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month. A key training event was held in the Ashanti Region to educate journalists on identifying and combating disinformation, especially during the election period. GJA General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah, urged journalists to prioritize accuracy over speed, while CSA Senior Manager Isaac Socrates Mensah emphasized the need for fact-checking to counter disinformation.
General Secretary of GJA, Kofi Yeboah
With over 24 million internet users in Ghana, the nation ranks 15th globally in social media usage. The CSA called for collective responsibility to combat the spread of misinformation and safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s democracy.