President Mahama (fourth from right) and Ghana’s delegation at a meeting
President John Dramani Mahama has underscored the need for an independent and a well-resourced media if the world was to combat disinformation and fake news.
He said independent journalism was not a luxury but a public good that needed to be guarded jealously.
“When journalists can investigate freely, societies flourish. When truth is defended, peace is preserved. And when citizens can access reliable information, democracy endures,” he emphasised.
President Mahama made the remarks on Wednesday at the closing ceremony of the High Level International Conference on Information Integrity and Independent Media in Paris, France.
The conference, amongst others, deliberated on how to defend truth and sustain trust in an era where disinformation, manipulation, and technological disruption threaten the very foundations of democracy.
It resolved to endorse a declaration on Multilateral Action for Information Integrity and Independent Media, renewed political and financial commitments to replenish the International Fund for Public Interest Media — targeting €130 million between 2026 and 2028 to support independent journalism worldwide.
It also agreed to establish a Consultative Committee to enhance coordination among states, civil society, and the Forum for Information and Democracy; and an understanding that the defence of truth must now be a sustained and collective endeavour, transcending national and institutional boundaries.
Based on the above, President Mahama said the world must invest in truth as deliberately as it invests in infrastructure, energy, or defence because “the cost of inaction will be far greater than the cost of commitment.”
To this end, he rallied participants to support journalists and institutions that stand for integrity and accountability; demand transparency and ethical responsibility from digital and AI platforms; and strengthen international cooperation to protect information as a shared global asset.
Re-echoing the words of former South African President, the late Nelson Mandela, that “a critical, independent, and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy,” he said conviction must be the guide to translate the outcomes of the conference into lasting global action.
According to President Mahama, disinformation and fake news are not abstract but a reality that is shaping elections, distorting public health responses, fuelling conflict, and undermining the fight against climate change.
He noted that a decade after the Paris Climate Accord, falsehoods continue to erode public confidence in science and policy.
“If we are to build a sustainable planet, we must also make an informed public,” he stressed, and pledged Ghana’s commitment to make financial contribution to the International Fund for Public Interest Media; a gesture that reflects “our conviction that independent journalism and reliable information are indispensable public goods.”
President Mahama said in as much as Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed the information landscape and offers immense opportunities for innovation, it also amplifies the risks of misinformation and economic disruption.
“Deep fakes, synthetic media, and algorithmic manipulation are reshaping what societies perceive as truth,” he identified.
The world’s collective task, he said, must therefore be to harness AI responsibly, to promote transparency, and to ensure that technological progress strengthens — rather than undermines — public trust.
“May the partnerships forged here today endure. May the commitments we have made inspire concrete progress. And may this moment mark not an end, but a new beginning — a turning point in our global effort to safeguard the integrity of information, empower truth-tellers, and strengthen democracy in every corner of the world.”
