Tamale, December 5, FSWA – GhanaFact and its partners under the umbrella of the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition have launched the Tamale Media Situation Room (MSR) ahead of the December 7, 2024 general elections.
The coalition launched early November 2024 is a collaborative initiative between Ghana’s three top fact-checking organisations (GhanaFact, Dubawa Ghana, and Fact-Check Ghana). Its main aim being to tackle misinformation and disinformation before, during, and after the election.
At the launch which took place at the Mariam Hotel in Tamale, president of the Northern Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association, Abdul Majeed Yakubu emphasised that journalists must cross-check and double-check facts before publishing any content. He welcomed the effort and support the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition has invested in putting up a MSR in Tamale.
“On our part as journalists in this part of the country, we are fully prepared. We have trained our members and we are very confident that we will be able to do our work without fear and favour.
“And I trust that the team here will actually help us to cement the efforts that we are already making to ensure that we have a peaceful election,” Yakubu said.
Mohammed Awal Alhassan, a representative of the National Peace Council (NPC) noted that journalists and Ghanaians must be cautious about sharing information, especially those that come through WhatsApp platforms.
“What comes through your WhatsApp page, ask yourself, is it true? We must try to always find areas that we can get confirmation of the information that we get,” he added.
Journalists present at the event also shared insights about their knowledge of fact-checking and further pledged to support the coalition efforts at combating misinformation and disinformation this election year.
The Tamale situation room would remain live from now until December 11, 2024.
