The Executive Director of Penplusbytes, Jerry Sam, has attributed the rising tide of misinformation in Ghana to the lack of enforcement of existing laws.
Speaking at a multi-stakeholder conference in Accra on September 11, Sam emphasized the urgent need for the country to strengthen its regulatory approach to combat the growing threat of false information and hate speech, particularly in the media and digital spaces.
His remarks follow recent public concerns raised by former President John Dramani Mahama, who condemned the increasing use of hate speech and disinformation, particularly in political discourse.
In response, Sam called for strict enforcement of legal provisions on hate speech and misinformation, warning that failure to act decisively could further erode public trust in the media and democratic institutions.
“We have laws in place, but enforcement is weak. If these laws are not applied consistently and fairly, we will continue to see the dangerous spread of misinformation and hate speech,” Jerry Sam stated.
The conference, organized by Penplusbytes, brought together media professionals, civil society organizations, legal experts, educators, and other stakeholders.
Discussions focused on how to balance freedom of expression with responsible communication, especially in an era where digital platforms enable the rapid spread of unverified information.
Research findings presented by Penplusbytes during the event revealed a glaring gap between existing legislation and enforcement mechanisms. The findings showed that sanctions for misinformation-related offenses are either inconsistently applied or insufficiently punitive, encouraging repeat offenses and emboldening perpetrators.
Jerry Sam expressed concern that the situation is “getting out of hand,” and called for long-term structural solutions. A key recommendation was the integration of media and information literacy (MIL) into Ghana’s education system to equip future generations with critical thinking skills necessary to discern credible information from falsehoods.
“Our young people must be taught from an early age how to identify fake news, verify sources, and engage with media responsibly. This should be part of our national curriculum,” he added.
According to Penplusbytes’ latest research, there is an urgent need to bridge the disconnect between law and practice. While Ghana has several provisions in place to combat harmful content, many of these laws lack clear implementation frameworks, and authorities often struggle to enforce them effectively.
In light of this, stakeholders at the conference made a number of recommendations, including: Developing comprehensive national guidelines that define the scope of misinformation and hate speech.
Clarifying legal definitions and their terms of use to avoid misinterpretation or misuse of the law.
Promoting inter-agency collaboration among regulators, media houses, and civil society to ensure a unified approach to media regulation.
The call for action comes at a time when misinformation, particularly around elections, health, and national security, poses a serious threat to social cohesion and informed public discourse.
