The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) held a two day workshop for journalists to promote accurate and effective reporting and ensure stability in democracy with the upcoming elections at the Sunlodge Hotel on June 6th and 7th.
The focus of the training is to “Counter Hate Speech and Polarising Narratives to Foster Democratic Consolidation and Peace in Ghana.” Additional areas covered included conflict sensitive reporting, misinformation and disinformation among media platforms, propaganda narratives, promoting information hygiene in the 2024 elections, AI, and fact-checking.
Kwaku Krobea Asante, MFWA Senior Programme Officer and leader of Fact Check Ghana educated the selected group of journalists about the dangers of misinformation and disinformation in media that cause tensions, mistrust, and disorder among the public.
He emphasized the importance of fact-based reporting to ensure peace and pushed journalists to be attentive to their work to provide objective information.
This training takes place at a crucial time as general elections for the President and members of Parliament are set for December 7th.
A study conducted by the MFWA from June 2020 to May 2021 found that 54 percent of ethical violations by media outlets during elections in Ghana were connected to pro-partisan radio media.
In order to combat these polarised narratives, Mr. Korebea stressed the importance of journalists fact-checking their work and verifying information to stop the spread of information disorder to ensure a peaceful election cycle.
He provided journalists with tools to approach conflicts with nuanced perspectives and to break away from one-sided views in order to maintain and promote democracy throughout Ghana.
He highlighted that it is the duty of journalists to ask the difficult questions, understand issues in a multi-faceted way, and report accurately in order to avoid political, electoral, religious, and ethnic conflicts.
Other speakers included Kojo Impraim, MFWA Programme Director for Media Peace Development, Frank Wilson Bodza, head of the Conflict Management and Resolution at the National Peace Council, and Emma Birikorang, Acting Deputy Director and Programme Head for the Peace Support Operations at the KAIPTC.