The Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has expressed concern about the increasing spread of false publications and misinformation within Ghana's media landscape.
He stated that the phenomenon was gradually eroding the country's democratic gains and called for action to combat the problem. Mr Nkrumah spoke at the launch of a website for the Information Services Department (ISD) of the Ministry of Information, in Accra, on Monday.
He explained that a significant portion of the Ghanaian population now relies on online and social media platforms for information, and some unscrupulous individuals are using these channels to propagate falsehoods.
“The phenomenon is gradually undermining our democracy,” Mr Nkrumah stated. The website, www.ghanatoday.gov.gh, has been launched to provide authentic and credible information, particularly on government projects, to combat misinformation.
Mr Nkrumah explained that the rollout of the website would help the department fight misinformation by providing direct information from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies about the government's work and becoming a repository of all happenings in government.
Over the years, the ISD has played a critical role in sensitizing the public on major issues of national interest, including the construction of the Akosombo dam, the re-introduction of the 17 per cent VAT, the introduction of the new Ghana cedi in 2007, and most recently, the creation of the six new regions and the E-Levy.
The department has done this through various Public Education Campaign strategies and the deployment of Public Relations professionals and Regional and District Information Officers to MMDAS and MDAs.
However, Mr Nkrumah noted that the Department had lost some momentum in recent years, mainly due to successive administrations' inability to equip it as well as keep up with the ever-changing media landscape and technological advancements.
He indicated that the launch of the website was part of the Department's re-organisation and retooling programme aimed at equipping it to serve more audiences with its work, even as the time and media consumption patterns changed.
“It will provide facts about Government projects and programmes, full texts of all speeches by heads of MDAs, official communications and publications, policies and programme documents to reduce the level of misrepresentations and sometimes outright misinformation online,” he added.
Mr Nkrumah urged the staff to work quickly and accurately to ensure that the citizenry received all the facts and necessary documentation as soon as possible.
Mr Owusu-Amoah, Acting Chief Information Officer, of ISD, stated that the advancement of technology and media pluralism had made it virtually impossible to control information anymore.
He said the website was more relevant as it would help the Department manage misinformation, and falsehoods, and reduce their negative impacts.
Mrs Adiza Ofori-Adu, Head of, the Media Division, ISD, said the website would enrich the dissemination of information on the government's projects and urged media houses to rely on it for authentic stories.
The ISD was established in the latter part of 1939 as a branch of the Colonial Government Secretariat dedicated to conveying news on the Second World War to the people of the then Gold Coast through a weekly journal.
