EU, Netherlands, and French Embassies launch disinformation campaign with celebrities

The European Union (EU), together with the Embassies of the Netherlands and France, have launched a campaign to combat disinformation ahead of Ghana’s 2024 elections.

In a joint statement issued in Accra, the EU and the two embassies announced that the “Check the Facts; Don’t get it twisted” campaign aims to promote and amplify credible information in the election discourse.

The partners, in a true Team Europe spirit, seek to promote media literacy, critical thinking, and fact-based information sharing, particularly among young voters.

This initiative is part of broader EU and Member State efforts to ensure credible, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful elections in Ghana.

Ghanaian celebrities such as Dr Likee, Kwame Eugene, Akrobeto, Fancy Gadam, Camidoh, Ama Burland, Gisela, Kojo Jnr, and Wiyaala will leverage their platforms to raise awareness, promote critical thinking, and foster fact-based discussions.

The campaign will feature skits, jingles, and podcasts, all infused with humor, to enhance media literacy. It will be conducted in English, Ga, Twi, Ewe, Sissala, Hausa/Dagbani, and will run throughout the election period and its immediate aftermath.

EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, was optimistic the initiative would promote fact-based information ahead of the elections.

“I am convinced that 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.”

French Ambassador to Ghana, Jules Armand Aniambossou, added, “France is committed 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 for all citizens in order to counter the pernicious effects of misinformation,” he said.

Jeroen Verheul, Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, said, “The Netherlands is pleased to support the campaign as part of Team Europe and subscribes to its importance in motivating young voters to be part of the democratic process and to let their vote count.

“To be able to trust the process, it is important to be well informed and know how to fact-check the information that is out there. When young citizens are empowered to seek factual information, unfiltered, they are also ambassadors against misinformation and they can play an active part in Ghanaian democracy,” he noted.

The “Check the Facts; Don’t get it twisted” campaign aims not only to raise awareness about deceitful actors and their efforts to mislead but also to build resilience in the fight against misinformation, which has been described as the greatest global risk in the next two years.

Source: GNA

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