By Ashiadey Dotse
With only 23 days left until Ghana’s 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, candidates are actively reaching out to voters, hoping to earn their support.
Ghanaians are eagerly anticipating a peaceful and successful election. However, fake news remains a serious threat that could disturb the peace and even lead to violence.
To help address this, the National Media Commission (NMC) has partnered with the Ghana Journalists Association, Ghana Broadcasters Association, PRINPAG, and the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition (Media Foundation for West Africa) to launch the Ghana Media Watch App.
At the app’s launch on Thursday, November 14, 2024, in Accra, Deputy Executive Secretary Mr. Alexander Bannerman explained that the Ghana Media Watch App is a new digital tool designed to promote transparency, counter disinformation, and protect journalists during the election period.
The app provides real-time monitoring of election-related activities to help ensure a fair and peaceful electoral process.
The app allows citizens to report any suspicious activities at polling stations, share videos, audio, and images, and document incidents with timestamps and GPS data. This creates a platform for the public to directly contribute to reliable election monitoring.
Executive Secretary of the NMC, Mr. George Sarpong, highlighted the app’s importance in combating misinformation and hate speech, which often increases during election times.
“The Media Watch App will be vital in supporting a peaceful and fair election,” he said. “This initiative empowers both the media and the public to uphold the credibility of Ghana’s elections.”
The app’s launch follows rising concerns over “disinformation” and “foreign information manipulation” aimed at destabilising the country. Such tactics often use social media to spread divisive content targeting institutions like the National Peace Council and the Supreme Court.
The NMC and its partners hope the app will counter these threats by promoting verified information.
Working with the Media Foundation for West Africa and other groups, the NMC has held training and awareness sessions across the country. With the app, the National Media Commission aims to boost public engagement and accountability throughout the election process.
The Ghana Media Watch App is now available for download, inviting all Ghanaians to support a transparent, peaceful, and fair election.