Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has warned that the deliberate spread of fake news is poisoning Ghana’s political atmosphere and must not be tolerated.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Pratt described the actions of people who create and spread false information as reckless, arguing that their activities could have serious political and economic consequences if left unchecked.
“This is relentlessness to the extreme, with severe political and economic consequences. The irresponsibility is too much and we should deal with it,” he said.
Pratt made the remarks while dismissing reports circulating on social media which falsely claimed he had described the Mahama administration as a failure.
Responding to a question about the alleged statement, he denied any connection to the publication and described it as false and politically motivated.
“I think it’s a bad thing and it should stop. It is unfair,” he said.
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Pratt said the incident formed part of a growing trend in which individuals create false content in his name to mislead the public and heighten political tensions.
He disclosed that fake Facebook and X accounts had previously been created in his name, sometimes using the logo of Pan African TV to spread misleading claims.
Pratt cited one instance in which a poster allegedly created by a communicator of the New Patriotic Party in Kumasi falsely claimed that President John Mahama had said he would not sign the LGBTQ+ bill.
According to him, people behind fake news often invoke press freedom when confronted, a justification he strongly rejected.
“When generators of fake news are dealt with, they claim it is an attack on press freedom. How can this be an attack on press freedom?” he asked.
He argued that deliberately spreading falsehoods falls outside the scope of free speech and should not be defended.
“It doesn’t come under free speech. They are people deliberately trying to poison the political atmosphere. They should not be shielded or defended,” he indicated.
Pratt further stressed that fake news undermines the principles of democratic expression and distorts the purpose of the freedoms fought for under democracy.
MRA/BAI
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