As Ghana prepares for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, misinformation and disinformation have become a concern.
The deliberate distortion of information against political opponents within the internet space is advancing; something that cyber security experts fear threatens the country’s democracy.
The media, being the carrier of information, has in some instances contributed to the spread of misinformation.
As part of this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) activities, and in recognition of the critical role the media plays in addressing the rising threat of online misinformation and disinformation, particularly in this election season, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) created a platform for media professionals in the Ashanti Region to deepen their understanding of cybersecurity issues related to the spread of false information and explore strategies for safeguarding public discourse.
General Secretary of GJA, Kofi Yeboah asked Journalists to put accuracy ahead of speed.
“Speed is good because we want to serve the news hot, but we must not compromise accuracy with it. It is the reason a training program like this is very important to Journalists because when we get to understand the issues to do with misinformation and disinformation, then we will get it right and serve our audience in a better way”.
A senior manager at the Cyber Security Authority, Isaac Socrates Mensah emphasized the need for journalists to fully aware of the modus operandi of cyber fraud.
“The expectation is that once we have created the awareness to you, you will also go out there and let people know how to fact-check information to at least get rid of misinformation and disinformation in this election”.
With Ghana currently ranked 15th globally for countries that spend most of their time on social media at least 24 million persons using internet, the spread of misinformation and disinformation is a big threat to the peace of the nation.
The Cyber Security Authority officials provided insights on identifying credible sources, understanding the tactics of disinformation campaigns, and the media’s role in fostering digital resilience in Ghana’s democracy.
The 2024 National Cyber Security Awareness Month is under the theme, “Combating Misinformation/Disinformation in a Digitally Resilient Democracy; Our Collective Responsibility”.
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