Volta Premier Fm
By: Michael Nene Lamptey
Dubawa Ghana, a fact checking arm of Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), funded by US embassy Ghana, recently conducted a two-day training workshop in the Volta regional capital, Ho, to empower journalists with fact-checking skills and digital verification tools. This initiative aimed to combat the rise of ‘fake news’ fueled by the proliferation of new media platforms.
Amid the growing threat of misinformation, journalists were encouraged to analyze information trends, engage in rigorous fact-checking, and employ both traditional and digital verification methods to prevent the dissemination of unverified and potentially misleading information.
Ms. Caroline Anipah, the team lead for Dubawa Ghana, explained the actors, behaviors, and content (ABC) of information disorder to participants. Emphasizing the importance of recognizing the diverse manifestations of information disorder, Ms. Anipah urged journalists to be vigilant.
Mr. Nathan Gadugah, Dubawa Ghana’s editor, highlighted how fact-checking serves as a crucial tool to counter information disorder, preserving the integrity of public discourse and trust in mainstream media. He guided journalists through the processes of fact-checking and helped them identify various forms of information disorder, including satire, misleading content, impersonation, sensationalism, false content, manipulation, and fabrication.
In the workshop, Ms. Roselena Ahiable, program officer of Dubawa Ghana introduced digital verification tools to participants, stressing the need for meticulous attention to detail when using these tools to combat information disorder.
Furthermore, journalists received education on the Right To Information (RTI) Law and its practical application. Mr. Tanko Musah, a lawyer, underscored that accessing information is a fundamental global human right, urging journalists to employ it for the sake of democratic accountability.
