Head of the Department of Communications Studies at the University of Ghana, Dr. Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin has charged the media to promote critical information consumption ahead of the 2024 elections. The scholar says this a critical role that cannot be overemphasized particularly in the lead up to the December 7 polls.
According to Dr. Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, a lot of information consumers in Ghana are not very critical of the kinds of information they ingest on a day-to-day basis. “People are consuming a lot of information without being critical about them, questioning the information they are receiving and the sources where the information comes from…”, she argued whilst delivering her remarks during the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Media and Security under the theme, “Safeguarding peace before, during and after elections 2024; the role of the media and security actors” in Accra on Tuesday. She said people are ignorant of how tempered they need to be in the actions they take as a result of the kinds of information they consume.
The solution, she says, lies squarely at the doorsteps of the media. In her informed opinion, the media’s role of educating the publics should be prioritized and seen critical to safeguarding the peace of Ghana before, during and after the December 7 elections.
Underscoring the importance of the media in Ghana’s democratic process, Dr. Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, intimated that the media has very important roles to play in the upcoming elections. Key amongst them, she says, is going the extra mile of doing what she describes as fact-checking debunking, and guide against scourge of misinformation that is likely to permeate on both traditional and new media platforms.
“…..there is a drive towards fact-checking fake news debunking, so that as information moves around in both digital and offline circles that are not healthy, there are people who have taken it upon themselves to find the facts and debunk the misinformation”, she suggested.
Adding to the media’s role of educating and fact-checking fake news debunking, is a third responsibility of promoting trust in the elections process. According to her, the media should not sit aloof and allow politicians bastardize the processes leading the elections. “If we bastardize the elections, it means that whoever wins, we cannot trust he won, and whoever loses cannot also accept”, she added.
The media, Dr. Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, mentioned has a unique role in bringing all stakeholders together to brainstorm on how to build a robust electoral or election systems that is fully trustworthy no matter who manages it.
She however expressed worry over inflamed and highly political conversations that are had on the Ghanaian media, especially towards the December 7 polls. She has thus advised the journalists and the media to be very careful the conversations that are entertained that may have the potential of marring or disturbing Ghana’s peace.
Sefah-Danquah
