'Correct misinformation visibly, quickly with same prominence' — Cybersecurity Authority Boss urges media
The Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Divine Selase Agbeti, has urged media organisations to correct misinformation promptly and with the same level of prominence given to the original inaccurate report.
He said responsible journalism in Ghana’s increasingly volatile information environment required newsrooms to prioritise accuracy, context and sound professional judgment, particularly when reporting on national security, communal conflicts and public emergencies.
Mr Agbeti made the call on Sunday, August 30, 2026, when he delivered the keynote closing remarks at a two-day residential training workshop for members of the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) at the Platinum Bay Hotel, Abokobi.
The workshop, held on the theme “Media as a Strategic Partner in National Security,” examined issues including Ghana’s national security architecture, emerging threats, communal conflicts, strategic communication, cybercrime, information warfare, press freedom, ethics and the legal framework governing security and intelligence.
Mr Agbeti said national security should not be regarded as the sole responsibility of security agencies, stressing that the media had an important role to play in protecting national stability.
“The central message of this workshop is simple: national security is not the exclusive responsibility of the security agencies. It is a shared national duty. The media is not a spectator in that effort. It is a strategic partner,” he said.
He stressed, however, that such a partnership should not compromise the independence of the media or prevent journalists from holding public institutions accountable.
According to him, a professional and independent media strengthens national security by exposing wrongdoing, challenging false information and providing citizens with credible information.
He warned that irresponsible reporting could have serious consequences, particularly in the digital age where misleading content can spread rapidly.
“A misleading headline can spread across the country in minutes. An unverified video can trigger fear, inflame communal tensions, or damage public confidence,” he cautioned.
He added that reports containing sensitive operational information could compromise investigations or put lives and critical infrastructure at risk, while carefully verified journalism could help authorities respond effectively to emerging threats.
Cyber threats to media
Mr Agbeti said the rapid evolution of the digital environment had created additional risks for journalists and news organisations, with cybercriminals and hostile actors increasingly exploiting fear, urgency and public trust.
He noted that techniques such as impersonation, compromised accounts, manipulated images, synthetic audio and coordinated disinformation were being used to deceive the public and influence public discourse.
“Journalists and newsrooms are both targets and potential force multipliers. When a journalist’s account is compromised, the attacker gains access not only to data but also to credibility and an audience,” he said.
He therefore called for cybersecurity to become an integral part of newsroom operations, rather than being treated solely as a technical issue.
He recommended the use of strong and unique passwords, multi-factor authentication, regular software updates, secure backups, verification of links and attachments, proper access controls and clear incident-response procedures.
Mr Agbeti also stressed the need for news organisations to protect sources and sensitive materials while ensuring that staff knew how and where to report cyber incidents.
Five commitments
The CSA Director-General proposed five practical commitments for media organisations emerging from the workshop.
The first, he said, should be for journalists to verify information before amplifying it, particularly content relating to security incidents, communal conflicts and public emergencies.
He urged newsrooms to independently verify such information, use geolocation where possible and cross-check reports against credible official and community sources.
The second commitment, he said, should be to protect operations and people by avoiding the publication of tactical positions, identities of protected persons and sensitive investigative details that could assist criminals or hostile actors.
He also called on PRINPAG members to build cyber-resilient newsrooms by appointing cybersecurity focal persons, conducting regular staff training, securing official accounts and establishing procedures for incident escalation, recovery and public correction.
On misinformation, Mr Agbeti said news organisations had a responsibility to ensure that corrections were clearly visible and reached audiences who had encountered the original inaccurate information.
“Corrections should be given sufficient prominence to reach the same audiences exposed to the original error. Responsible journalism is demonstrated not by never making a mistake, but by responding transparently when one occurs,” he said.
He further encouraged PRINPAG and the security agencies to maintain structured engagement through regular briefings, awareness programmes, incident-reporting guidance and practical exchanges.
“Trust is built before a crisis, not during one,” he stated.
Call for newsroom protocol
Mr Agbeti urged PRINPAG to develop a concise newsroom protocol covering national security and cyber incident reporting.
He said the protocol should protect editorial independence while establishing clear standards for verification, handling sensitive information, source protection, corrections and engagement with relevant authorities.
“The true value of this workshop will be measured by what changes in our newsrooms after today,” he said.
He also called on security institutions to reciprocate the media's commitment by providing timely and accurate information.
According to him, journalists could not be expected to report responsibly when credible information was unnecessarily delayed or when official communication was inconsistent.
“Classification must never serve as a convenient shield against accountability. When information cannot be released, the reasons should be explained as far as the law and operational realities permit,” he said.
Mr Agbeti said Ghana's national security would increasingly depend on the ability of institutions and citizens to protect both physical and information spaces.
He described the media's role in helping citizens distinguish facts from manipulation, legitimate scrutiny from reckless speculation and the public interest from harmful exposure as indispensable to democracy and national stability.
He proposed a renewed partnership in which security institutions engage the media with openness and respect, while journalists exercise their freedoms with professionalism and responsibility.
He reaffirmed the CSA's readiness to collaborate with PRINPAG and the wider media community to build safer newsrooms, better-informed citizens and a more secure digital environment.
“The workshop may be closing, but the partnership it has strengthened must now begin its most important phase: implementation,” Mr Agbeti said.