The European Union (EU), together with the Embassies of the Netherlands and France, has launched a campaign to combat disinformation ahead of Ghana’s 2024 elections.
The “Check the Facts; Don’t Get It Twisted” campaign aims to promote and amplify credible information in the election discourse.
In the spirit of Team Europe, the partners aim to foster media literacy, critical thinking, and fact-based information sharing, especially among young voters.
This initiative is part of the EU and Member States’ broader efforts to promote credible, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful elections in Ghana.
Ghanaian celebrities like Dr. Likee, Kwame Eugene, Akrobeto, Fancy Gadam, Camidoh, Ama Burland, Gisela, Kojo Jnr, and Wiyaala will leverage their platforms to create awareness, promote critical thinking, and encourage fact-based discussions.
The campaign features informative skits, jingles, and podcasts infused with humor to boost media literacy skills. It will be available in English, Ga, Twi, Ewe, Sissala, Hausa, and Dagbani and will run throughout the election period and its immediate aftermath.
EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, expressed confidence in the campaign, stating, “This initiative helps to promote responsible reporting and fact-based information sharing in Ghana; we are committed to supporting Ghana’s democratic development and look forward to a successful collaboration with Ghanaian celebrities and civil society organizations.”
The French Ambassador to Ghana, Jules Armand Aniambossou, added, “France is committed, together with its European partners, local players, and celebrities, to support transparent and inclusive elections that respect democracy.
It is crucial to strengthen access to reliable information in all of Ghana’s most popular languages to counter the pernicious effects of misinformation.”
The Netherlands expressed pride in supporting the campaign as part of Team Europe, highlighting its importance in motivating young voters to participate in the democratic process.
“To trust the process, it’s essential to be well-informed and know how to fact-check the information available. When young citizens are empowered to seek factual, unfiltered information, they become ambassadors against misinformation and can play an active role in Ghanaian democracy.”
In the end, the “Check the Facts; Don’t Get It Twisted” campaign will not only make Ghanaians aware of deceitful actors and their intent to mislead and manipulate but also build resilience in combating the disinformation menace, which has been described as one of the greatest global risks in the next two years.
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