Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (5th right), David Owusu-Amoah (4th left) with other heads of the ISD
As part of measures to curb misinformation in the country, the Information Services Department (ISD) of the Ministry of Information has launched a website, Ghana Today.
The online platform is expected to provide accurate information on government projects, programmes, communications and positions.
Launching the portal yesterday in Accra, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said combating misinformation is a critical task in the current information age, and requires a multifaceted approach.
One of such approach, he said, is the development of tools that will help to monitor and track the spread of misinformation on social media platforms and other online channels.
“As you may be aware, a significant section of our population now relies on online platforms and other social media platforms for information. It is also important to note that some unscrupulous persons have used many of these portals and social media platforms to propagate falsehood and misinformation. This phenomenon is gradually undermining our democracy,” he said.
“The rollout of this website will, therefore, aid the Department in the fight against misinformation by providing direct information from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) about the works of government and becoming a repository of all happenings in government,” he added.
The Minister further said that “it will provide facts about government projects and programmes, full texts of all speeches by heads of MDAs, official communications and publications, policies, and program documents to reduce the level of misrepresentations and sometimes outright misinformation online.”
Retooling
Mr Oppong Nkrumah disclosed that the launch of the platform was an integral part of the re-organisation and retooling programme of the ISD aimed at equipping it to serve more audiences with its work even as the times and media consumption patterns change.
He said despite the successes that had been chalked in the delivery of its mandate over the years, the Department lost some steam mostly due to the inability of successive administrations to equip it and the inability of the department to keep up with the ever-changing media landscape and the technology that goes with it.
“So far, we have established a state-of-the-art research department, an ultra-modern Public Relations Coordinating Division, and the Media Division, which rolls out its first project. All these are geared towards positioning the Department to become a very vibrant institution for the dissemination of authentic government information to keep the public well informed,” he said.
“We expect to complete processes shortly to open up the new Public Education Campaign, featuring the iconic Green and Yellow Vans popular known as ‘Aban Cine’. This will be useful in ensuring that word gets to the last mile about governance,” he added.
To this end, he charged the ISD to work quickly and accurately to ensure that Ghanaians are reached with all the facts and the necessary documentation as soon as possible.
“Do not wait until tomorrow. Do it now. To your PROs across the MDAs, it is your job to ensure that the information and the documents reach ISD Media today, so they are published. The regular delays in getting materials to your colleagues at ISD media will only undermine the potential efficacy of this very useful tool. So, get to work with speed and call for help if you need help with the bureaucracy in your ministries,” Mr Oppong Nkrumah further charged.
Taking responsibility
In his submission, the Acting Chief Information Officer of ISD, Mr David Owusu-Amoah, urged Ghanaians to make use of the Ghana Today platform, and to be vigilant in their consumption of online content.
He said it is important that we all take responsibility for the information they consume and share, and be mindful of the impact of false information on society, while working together to combat it.
“We all have a role to play in combating misinformation. We must all be responsible and verify the information before sharing it. With this new tool, we hope to empower Ghanaians to take an active role in the fight against fake news,” he added.
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