The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has organized a two-day intensive training programme on countering hate speech and misinformation on social media platforms for journalists.
The training was to reinforce journalists’ ability to decipher such commonly encountered actions to be able to report well and ensure that the upcoming general elections would be peaceful.
About twenty (20) journalists selected from the Ashanti, Central, Bono, Bono-East and Ahafo Regions attended the workshop in Kumasi.
During the two days, participants were taken through why journalists should not use the term “fake news”, and distinctions between disinformation, misinformation, and mal-information.
Again, there were presentations on social media and artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and how these impacted electoral processes.
Other discussions were on hate speech and its impact on electoral processes, the Rabat Action Plan on the Prohibition of incitement to national, racial or religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
Presentations were also made on fat checking and electoral violence and gender-based violence during election periods.
Dr. Wilberforce Dzisah, Head, School of Technology and Social Sciences, at GIMPA, who facilitated some of the sessions, observed that it was important for journalists to try and push for elections coverage that was free, fair and balanced to promote unity and peaceful cohesion.
He underscored the need for journalists to fact check well before putting out stories to prevent chaos and tension among citizens.
Dr. Daniel Nkrumah, Lecturer, Department of Language and Communication Sciences at KNUST, urged the various media houses to develop manuals that would guide election coverage.
This will enhance journalists’ work output and present reliable reports.
