ISD launches platform to combat misinformation

The Information Services Department (ISD) of the Ministry of Information has launched a new platform aimed at combating the growing scourge of misinformation in the country.

The platform which is a website called Ghana Today is a reliable news portal that provides accurate information on Government projects, programs, communications and positions.

The launch of the platform took place on Monday, March 13, 2023, at the Ministry’s premises, and was attended by several government officials, stakeholders, and members of the media.

Speaking at the event, the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, stated that combating misinformation is a critical task in today’s information age that requires a multifaceted approach. He said one of such approaches is developing tools that will help to monitor and track the spread of misinformation on social media platforms and other online channels.

“As you may be aware, a significant section of our population now relies on online platforms and other social media platforms for information. It is also important to note that some unscrupulous persons have used many of these portals and social media platforms to propagate falsehood and misinformation. This phenomenon is gradually undermining our democracy.

“The rollout of this website will, therefore, aid the Department in the fight against misinformation by providing direct information from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) about the works of Government and becoming a repository of all happenings in government. It will provide facts about Government projects and programmes, full texts of all speeches by heads of MDAs, official communications and publications, policies, and program documents to reduce the level of misrepresentations and sometimes outright misinformation online,” he said.

He said the launch of the platform forms an integral part of the re-organization and retooling programme of the Department aimed at equipping it to serve more audiences with its work even as the times and media consumption patterns change.

On his part, the Acting Chief Information Officer of the ISD, Mr. David Owusu-Amoah urged Ghanaians to make use of the Ghana Today platform and to be vigilant in their consumption of online content. He said it is important that we all take responsibility for the information we consume and share and be mindful of the impact of false information on our society whiles working together to combat it.

“We all have a role to play in combating misinformation. We must all be responsible and verify the information before sharing it. With this new tool, we hope to empower Ghanaians to take an active role in the fight against fake news,” he added.