Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) President Albert Kwabena Dumfour has urged traditional media outlets to maintain a robust presence on social media platforms to serve as reliable sources of information.
Speaking on Starr FM, Mr. Dumfour highlighted the crucial role of traditional media in combating the spread of misinformation online.
He explained, “If we strongly establish our presence as traditional mainstream media—like Starr FM, GHOne TV, and other strong media houses—by coming strongly onto TikTok and all that, when there’s fake news and people are perpetrating it, at least there will be a point of reference. When something happens, people will be like, ‘Let me go on the EIB Network, Starr FM, GHOne, and confirm.’”
Mr. Dumfour cited the false report of Serwaa Amihere’s arrest as an example, suggesting that a stronger social media presence could have facilitated quicker fact-checking.
“Recently, there was a publication by Kokonsa that Serwaa Amihere had been arrested. You could have just done it in a question form: ‘Has Serwaa Amihere been arrested?’” he noted.
Mr. Dumfour emphasized the responsibility of traditional and mainstream media to increase their visibility and engagement on social media platforms.
“What I’m trying to say is that we have a huge task and responsibility as traditional and mainstream media to make sure that our presence is heavily felt on social media,” he concluded.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/John Bodza
