By Comfort Sena Fetrie-Akagbor
Tamale, Oct 13, GNA – Ms Caroline Anipah, the Country Lead at Dubawa, a fact-checking organisation, has advised journalists to build their skills to avoid misinformation in their reportage and guard against fake news.
She urged them to use their core skills and competencies to verify information before publishing.
Ms Anipa gave the advice during a two-day fact-checking training for journalists in Tamale, supported by the United States (US) Embassy, to enhance their capacity in verifying the authenticity of news stories before publication.
She said: “When using articles and online sources, be sure to check the website and determine who is providing the information and the motive behind it.”
Mr Nathan Gadugah, Editor, Ghana at Dubawa, urged the participants to use the tools and resources at their disposal to verify fake news.
He reminded them to ensure fairness, balance and accuracy in their reportage while keeping their audience informed.
It was the duty of journalists to endeavour to sort out facts from opinions on subjects from experts, not forgetting to use multiple experts in gathering their news, he noted.
Dr Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, the Head of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, urged journalists to be guided by the ethics of the profession.
She said they should be honest and courageous in gathering information and avoid conflict of interest.
GNA