Renowned Ghanaian Broadcast Journalist, Emefa Apawu is urging her fellow journalists to be on the lookout for fake news in Ghana’s upcoming 2024 General elections.
According to her, the platform for the quick spread of fake news and conspiracy theories during the electioneering season is social media.
“So, for example, during the 2020 elections, we all heard. There were rumors circulating. Even prior to that, in 2008 we heard information about one of the candidates or the other being sick and not being able to contest amongst others” she said.
Emefa Apawu emphasized that as the 2024 election is lurking around the corner it is important for journalists, to look out for fake news, not from journalists in the traditional media, but from users of social media.
She says guarding against this kind of information as journalists and not believing everything shared on social media by its users will help traditional journalists escape the tendency of misinforming, disinforming, and misinforming.
Misinformation is false information that is shared inadvertently without meaning to cause harm, while with disinformation, you are intending to cause harm by deliberately sharing false information.
Mal-information is genuine information, opinions shared to cause harm including hate speech and harassment.
Emefa Apawu made this appeal while making a presentation on Misinformation and Online Abuse of Journalists when the US Embassy in Ghana celebrated World Press Freedom Day 2023 in partnership with the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the Ghana Journalist Association in the Central Region.
The celebration held on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, was marked with a Media Seminar which brought together students from the Department of Communication Studies at UCC, the University Practice Senior High School, Academy of Christ the King Senior High School, Adisadel College, St Augustine’s College, Mfanstipim School and journalists from the Central Region.
A media training on the legal perspective on the safety of journalists was also held at the University of Cape Coast for the journalists and the students from the Department of Communication Studies, UCC.
They were also trained on how to leave their digital footprint on social media to show their credibility and professionalism to the masses.
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Source: Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
