End fake news in the media - Nana Addo

Fake news, which knows no boundaries has become part and parcel of the news ecosystem and gradually gaining grounds in Ghana, particularly in the political sphere, where politicians use it as a tool to discrete opponents just in the name of securing power, but Nana Addo called for efforts to eliminate fake news because "it also poses a serious threat and danger to the very fabric of our society."

In a keynote address at the 70th Anniversary Ball of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) in Accra on Saturday, October 24, 2020, he said though technology has advanced and brought several improvements to the speed at which news is disseminated, it has also engendered 'fake news'.

"It is not only alarming but also poses a serious threat and danger to the very fabric of society. We must all make a concerted effort to eliminate this phenomenon from our media space.

"It is great that we no longer have to wait until tomorrow morning to find out what happened yesterday, thanks to technology. But again, thanks to technology, we now have the phenomenon of people manufacturing totally false or fake stories that easily pass off as news," he said.

According to him, "We must all make a concerted effort to eliminate this phenomenon from our media space. Difficult though, that might be, the health of the nation requires that we must succeed."

Penplusbytes researches on 'fake news'

In 2018, a debut study by Penplusbytes on 'fake news' in Ghana showed that the Ghanaian media landscape does not have systems, budgets, or trained personnel dedicated to combating the menace of 'fake news'.

The study; Media Perspectives on fake news in Ghana also establishes that in Ghana "bait and click" are the commonest form of fake news; fabricated content and false headlines without connection to the content.

Globally, fake news or hoaxes, usually in the form of misinformation, spin, outright lies, and fabrications has been around for a long time. 

But in recent times, fake news has seen rapid growth due to social media and other new digital tools which are enablers with attendant adverse impact on citizens' lack of trust not only in the news media but also, key governance institutions. 

Naturally, the Ghanaian media landscape is not excluded from the global epidemic.