A coalition of stakeholders focused on combating disinformation in Ghana is putting strategies in place to counter false information, raise public awareness, and address emerging threats before, during, and after the December 7 elections.

The coalition members such as Fact Check Ghana have stepped up their activities to verify facts and expose false claims surrounding the 2024 electoral process.

Their work targets both online platforms and traditional media to maximise reach while using a risk register to consistently monitor and address potential threats.

This initiative follows the formation of the coalition in November 2024, after a workshop in Accra that brought together stakeholders for a national dialogue on electoral disinformation, acknowledging the increasing threat disinformation poses to election integrity.

Team Lead for Fact Check Ghana, Kwaku Krobea Asante, revealed that his organization is collaborating closely with the Electoral Commission (EC) to tackle disinformation issues to ensure false claims are not only debunked but also addressed promptly,

He stressed the importance of taking swift action, stating that they have established contacts at the EC and are hopeful they can escalate issues to their attention when necessary.

“We do have contacts at the EC and are hoping that we can escalate things to their attention when need be,” he said.

The coalition, comprising a wide range of stakeholders such as civil society organizations (CSOs), fact-checking groups, the Electoral Commission (EC), political parties, journalists, and the National Elections Security Task Force (NESTF), has been working to facilitate effective coordination in identifying, reporting, and combating disinformation to protect the integrity of Ghana’s electoral process.

The coalition is hosted by Penplusbytes and implemented with support from International Media Support (IMS) and Research ICT Africa (RIA).

Its collaborative approach marks an advancement in the fight against disinformation, setting a precedent for similar initiatives in the country.