2024 Elections: ‘Media have vital role to play in Ghana's stability’ — Information Minister

Information Minister Fatimatu Abubakar has emphasised the crucial role of the media in ensuring Ghana remains peaceful and united after the 2024 general elections.

Speaking at a workshop for journalists organised by the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) in Somanya on Friday, September 16, the minister said journalists have "a duty as gatekeepers" to verify information and report facts that promote national cohesion.

"Of what use is a leader without his people? Of you use as a president if there is no country?. So at all costs, the peace, security, stability, and everything that will make us have a country after a election should be prioritized ahead of our individual and personal interests," the minister told the journalists.

She noted that the proliferation of fake news on social media poses a threat to Ghana's stability if not checked.

“We have also seen this same global challenge of disinformation and disinformation in Ghana," Ms Abubakar said.

She cited Chef Smith’s recent false claim to have broken the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon and how many media houses published the story without verification.

“The duty or gatekeeping duty that you think would have gone through the editorial decisions did not happen," the minister remarked.

She warned journalists against spreading misinformation that could inflame tensions, saying "you may not be able to stop what you started."

With the memories of violence in other countries due to the spread of fake news, she urged the media "to guide the nation based on truth, based on professional standards."

The Information Minister expressed confidence that Ghana's 2024 elections will be peaceful "if we trust that you will do the fact-checking and you will get us in line."

She pledged the government's full support for capacity-building programmes to enhance the fact-checking abilities of journalists.