BoG Commits to Strengthening Media’s Role in Addressing Digital Misinformation

Sunyani: The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has concluded a two-day training workshop aimed at empowering media practitioners to combat the rise of misinformation and disinformation in the digital economy. This initiative underscores the BoG's commitment to enhancing media understanding of financial and economic issues to ensure accurate reporting.According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Bernard Ato Otabil, the Director of Communications at the BoG, emphasized the threat that misinformation and disinformation pose to the digital economy. He highlighted the necessity of equipping the media with the knowledge needed to accurately interpret and report on economic developments.The workshop, held in Sunyani, brought together media practitioners from the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions. It aimed to enhance their skills and capacities, enabling them to report more accurately on economic matters. Mr. Otabil reiterated that the training aligns with the central bank's efforts to ensure that media practitioners can effectively c ommunicate the BoG's monetary policy decisions and their implications.Mr. Otabil explained that the BoG has adopted an approach of engaging journalists through comprehensive training and dialogue on financial and economic issues. This effort is intended to position media practitioners to report accurately on the operations of the bank and the broader economy, while also highlighting the media's crucial role in shaping public opinion.He urged the media to deepen their understanding of the complexities involved in monetary policy formulation, particularly within the rapidly evolving digital economy. Mr. Otabil noted that the BoG's primary mandate of maintaining price stability is often misunderstood due to the technical nature of monetary policy language.Additionally, Mr. Abdulai Lawal Abubakari, the Bono Regional Manager of the BoG, acknowledged the media's essential role in shaping public discourse and holding public office holders accountable. He encouraged media practitioners to apply the knowledge ga ined from the workshop to inform the public effectively about the bank's monetary policy.Participants of the workshop were educated on various topics, including the BoG's mandate, its regulatory role, monetary policy committee statements, inflation dynamics, the foreign exchange market, and the balance sheet.