The Board Chair of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, has advised journalists to prioritise fact-checking and verification over speed in human rights reporting.
She noted that while speed is essential in journalism, it was equally important to prioritise verification to avoid spreading false information that could compromise people's human rights.
“Journalism has always required speed because journalists work on deadlines...
However, we also know that, particularly because of social media and the fact that journalists get news from all kinds of sources, the verification becomes very important," Prof. Gadzekpo said.
Engagement
The former Dean of the School of Information and Communications Studies at the University of Ghana, Legon, said this at an engagement with final year journalism students of the University of Media Arts and Communication (UniMAC) GIJ Campus at Dzorwulu in Accra last Thursday.
Organised by CDD-Ghana, it was to update the knowledge of the students on ethical reporting on human rights and the importance of promoting and respecting the rights of all Ghanaians, including sexual minorities.
It also formed part of activities to commemorate this year’s Human Rights Day, celebrated annually around the world on December 10.
Speaking on the topic “Professional and ethical journalism, Prof. Gadzekpo stressed that false information could lead to harm and compromise people's human rights, making it crucial for journalists to be careful and prioritise verification over speed.
“We need to teach journalists to be a little bit more careful, to practice the professional canon of fact checking and verification, and prioritise that over speed," she emphasised.
A senior fellow at the CDD-Ghana, Emerita Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh, called for greater protection of minority rights in the country.
“The media is the fourth estate.
They have the duty to inform, educate, entertain, et cetera.
They must do it from a basis of knowledge.
They must also be doing it fully cognisant of human rights commitments and obligations,” she said.
She highlighted the findings of Afrobarometer surveys, which showed that Ghanaians felt the rights of sexual minorities were the least protected, and stressed the importance of recognising the dignity and rights of all individuals, as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
"Our constitution recognises their dignity and their rights, and it is not a call for people to accept or join or anything but to ensure that they also are caught in their dignity and respect," Prof. Manuh said.
Education
A Programmes Manager for Human Rights and Social Inclusion at CDD-Ghana, Dr Michael Augustus Akagbor, stressed that human rights were often misunderstood, and it was crucial for journalists to understand the concept and its application.
"Human rights are abstract, but they manifest themselves in real life. Key rights - including the rights to life, property, privacy, and information - are essential for journalists to grasp.
To protect human rights, Dr Akagbor emphasised education as the key, adding that “We need to educate people, and civil society is stepping in to help with this problem.”
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