Bank of Ghana trains media practitioners to combat misinformation in digital economy

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has concluded a two-day training workshop for selected media practitioners, reaffirming its commitment to empowering the media to address the growing challenge of misinformation and disinformation in the digital space.

Speaking at the event in Sunyani, Mr Bernard Ato Otabil, Director of Communications at the BoG, said false information poses a serious threat to the digital economy. He stressed the need for journalists to be well-informed about emerging financial and economic issues to enhance accurate and responsible reporting.

The workshop, which brought together journalists from the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions, aimed to sharpen their analytical and reporting skills on economic matters. It also sought to strengthen their capacity to interpret and communicate the central bank’s monetary policy decisions and their broader implications.

“The BoG has adopted an approach of engaging journalists to update their knowledge with vigorous training and dialogue on financial and economic issues to boost their understanding,” Mr Otabil said.

He reminded participants of the media’s crucial role in shaping public opinion, urging them to deepen their understanding of the complexities surrounding monetary policy formulation in a fast-evolving digital economy.

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Mr Otabil added that the central bank’s mandate of maintaining price stability is often misunderstood because monetary policy communication tends to be technical. He emphasised that media literacy in this area was key to bridging that gap.

On his part, Mr Abdulai Lawal Abubakari, the Bono Regional Manager of the BoG, highlighted the media’s vital role in shaping public discourse and ensuring accountability. He encouraged participants to apply the knowledge gained to better inform the public on the bank’s monetary policies.

Participants were taken through topics including the mandate and regulatory role of the BoG, monetary policy committee statements, inflation dynamics, foreign exchange market operations, data pack analysis, and the bank’s balance sheet.

The training, part of the BoG’s ongoing engagement strategy, reinforces the central bank’s mission to foster transparency, media literacy, and public trust in Ghana’s financial ecosystem.