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Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (center) in contact with the Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association at his Accra office
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah called for a concerted national effort to tackle false information head-on, as it threatens to undermine freedom of the press and the dispensation. democratic country.
He added that the misfortune of the false news has worsened to the point that some traditional media companies have resorted to the publication of some of this information that "were flying on fake news platforms".
"False information continues to be a major debacle in the media space, especially at a time when any information can become viral and mislead consumers," he said.
False news
At a meeting with the National Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in his office in Accra yesterday, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said: "We may not be in a situation where false information is alarming today, but we have to deal with it now. "
The Executive, led by Association President Affail Monney, was with the Minister to congratulate him on his appointment as Minister of Information and to officially invite him to the 70th Anniversary celebration. the badociation this year.
The meeting was also used to reflect on the killing of Ahmed Hussein-Suale, a member of the PI Tiger Eye team, last Wednesday.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said it was time for stakeholders such as the government, the National Media Commission (NMC) and the GJA to attack false information before they could " escape control "and threaten the credibility of media professionals in the country.
Opinion journalism
He is also concerned about how opinion journalism also facilitates the dissemination of non-objective and biased information to consumers of information.
"We need to start looking a bit more at the journalism of opinion and the type of headings that we all want to put in place so that the consumer knows at all times what the facts and opinions are and, by consuming the news, that he is guided accordingly, "he said.
Protecting journalists
Regarding the safety of journalists, the minister said his team was already working with the GJA in the development of what he called "a national coordination mechanism for the safety of journalists."
The initiative, which, he said, would be completed in the first quarter of the year, "would allow the government, the GJA, security agencies and civil society organizations to Exchange information for our mutual benefit, "he said.
Capacity increase
He lamented that, although the GJA has been at the forefront in the struggle for the promotion of a democratic regime in Ghana, many journalists remain non-members of the GJA.
As a result, he said the government is ready to help the GJA overcome some of the many challenges it faces in order to make it more attractive to all journalists, like other recognized professions.
"More specifically this year, the government will want, among other things, to help build the capacity of media professionals to enable journalists to improve their capabilities and tackle the main pitfalls of the media landscape.
"We have already engaged with the GJA, the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and the National Media Commission (NMC) to develop the program by the end of the first semester of 2019 and will offer scholarships to journalists. in practice to strengthen their capabilities in their areas of activity, "he added.
For his part, Monney said that the killing of the Tiger Eye PI reporter was an attack against all Ghanaian journalists and urged the government to guarantee a swift investigation into the case.
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