Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has announced that stakeholders within the communication sector are working together to develop a comprehensive National Action Plan to combat the increasing problem of disinformation in the country.
The plan, currently in development, is expected to be finalized by December of this year. This initiative follows a recent National Conference on Disinformation and Misinformation, where a 7-point communique was collectively agreed upon by political parties, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), media representatives, and development partners.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah emphasized the importance of addressing misinformation and disinformation to protect the journalism profession and foster meaningful democratic discourse.
“Disinformation, if not checked, at the minimum, trust in our cherished profession will soon be eroded. At the most, we will not even have a democracy anymore where people can exchange ideas and make decisions based on truth and fact. We run the risk of shifting to a space where our public discourse is started by misinformation and disinformation, twisted narratives, and sometimes total fabrications.
“If we get into that space, we cannot have any meaningful forward-looking conversation that builds our society. Because any conversation that starts with disinformation evokes misdirected passions and denies us the ability to discuss and build consensus on solutions cogently,” the Minister said.
The National Action Plan, as outlined by Minister Oppong Nkrumah, will encompass a range of strategies, including upholding ethical standards in the media, promoting fact-checking in public discourse, supporting high-quality journalism, and advancing civic education. The Minister urged all stakeholders to collaborate and commit to addressing this growing threat, emphasizing that while the government has taken several measures to tackle the issue, eliminating this menace will necessitate a collective effort.