BY: KWEKU BOLTON
Global rise of misinformation, disinformation, and deepfake technology is reshaping the media landscape, threatening truth, trust, and democratic stability. As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become more sophisticated and widely accessible, journalists face mounting pressure to verify facts and expose manipulation.
Deepfakes often generated using advanced algorithms like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) can fabricate convincing audio-visual content at minimal cost. Combined with information overload and psychological biases, these tools make falsehoods easier to spread and harder to detect.
Weak regulatory oversight has enabled a range of bad actors including state-sponsored operatives, cybercriminals, political agitators, and extremist groups to weaponize digital deception for fraud, propaganda, and social division. Real-world examples, such as the deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging surrender or fabricated clips impersonating Barack Obama, underscore the urgency of media vigilance. Observers noted that numerous ECOWAS and national political leaders have been targeted by malicious actors using deepfake voice and video technologies to spread disinformation. Analysts say, the societal fallout is vast and individuals face emotional harm and identity theft, governments grapple with election interference and policy paralysis, and businesses suffer financial losses and market instability. At the community level, disinformation erodes democratic values, incites violence, and fractures civic unity.
In response, a coordinated regional initiative is underway in West Africa. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), and the German Development Agency (GIZ) have launched a comprehensive training programme to equip journalists with the tools to detect and counter digital falsehoods. On the theme “Information Integrity and the Fight Against Disinformation in West Africa,” the ECOWAS-GIZ framework has trained 315 journalists from state and private media, newspapers, and digital platforms in AI-assisted fact-checking, deepfake detection, open-source intelligence (OSINT) verification, and digital security protocols.
Sensitization sessions have already taken place in The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, with Ghana marking another step toward building a regional cohort of journalists committed to information integrity. The training forms part of a broader ECOWAS initiative under its MoU with MFWA, signed in December 2023, with support from the GIZ OD Programme.
ECOWAS Resident representative in Ghana Mohammed Lawan Gana encouraged journalists and institutions to take collective responsibility for safeguarding public trust.
Fabricated videos featuring public figures in compromising scenarios have circulated widely before being debunked. According to veteran journalist Mr. Kweku Asante, such incidents highlight the urgent need to rebuild rigorous verification systems within newsrooms. “Fact-checking used to be an intrinsic tool in news gathering,” he lamenting that the practice has “drizzled out” at a time when it is needed most.
The Director of Media for Peace and Social Cohesion at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Dr. Kojo Impraim emphasizing the profession’s duty to serve the public interest with impartiality even in volatile environments.
“In conflict situations, we must ensure all parties are covered fairly’.
Dr. Impraim underscored the importance of balanced coverage in mitigating tensions and preventing misinformation. He also shed light on the roots of violent extremism, noting that such movements often arise from a combination of ‘push’ factors such as systemic injustice and ‘pull’ factors, including psychological vulnerabilities that make individuals susceptible to radicalization.
The MFWA warns that without digital vigilance, misinformation will continue to distort democratic discourse across the region.
Media professionals are being urged to adopt OSINT tools as a standard part of their workflow, with a clear message: while artificial intelligence holds promise for good, it is increasingly being weaponised by bad actors.
Journalism must rise to meet this challenge not only by exposing falsehoods but by reinforcing the standards that uphold a free and informed society.
