November 27, 2024; Accra, Ghana – In a move to support efforts aimed at countering disinformation and enhancing electoral information integrity, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) is collaborating with the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition (GFC).

GFC is a collective of fact-checking organisations (Fact-Check Ghana, GhanaFact and Dubawa Ghana) partnering selected civil society actors and media partners to protect information integrity before, during and after the upcoming elections.

This collaboration with CODEO seeks to build the capacities of journalists across the country on fact-checking and debunking false narratives. CODEO’s support will also contribute to establishing two Media Situation Rooms in the lead-up to Ghana’s upcoming general elections on December 7, 2024.

The spread of misinformation and disinformation poses significant threats to democratic processes and consolidation. The traditional media is the primary source of information for most Ghanaians but many journalists working in some of the media organisations, especially in hard-to-reach areas, have limited capacities to verify information and are susceptible to the dangers of false information. This highlights an urgent need to train journalists to improve their professional capacities and enhance their abilities to produce high-quality and accurate information.

Previous elections have shown that misleading narratives can polarise voters and incite conflict, making this initiative crucial for ensuring a peaceful electoral environment. The training intervention will therefore equip the participating journalists most of whom will be selected from hard-to-reach areas with the skill of identifying misinformation, understanding electoral rules, and ethical reporting practices. It also aims to establish strong working relationships between local journalists and media houses to ensure coordinated efforts against misinformation during the elections.

The Media Situation Rooms will serve as a centralised hub for real-time monitoring and fact-checking of election-related information. The Situation Rooms will run from December 4-11, 2024 and will enable journalists to track misinformation across various platforms, including social media and traditional media outlets. This initiative is designed to foster collaboration among media professionals and civil society organizations, thereby enhancing the capacity to counteract false narratives effectively.

This initiative is timely as Ghana approaches elections marked by increasing instances of disinformation and will contribute to a more informed electorate capable of participating meaningfully in the democratic process.

The collaboration between CODEO and the GFC is being implemented with support from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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