Fake News and SDG16: The Situation in Ghana

Sustainable Development Goal Sixteen (SDG16) is about peace, justice and institutional accountability. Among the 17 sustainable development goals, the SDG16 is recognised as the bedrock upon which the successes of the remaining goals lie. This is because for any country or organisation to reach higher heights, the fundamental principles of maintaining peace, attaining justice for all and ensuring institutional accountability must be realised. It is a representation of a ‘transformative shift’ from the Millennium Development Goals and highlights the roles that peace, justice and good institutions play in development. It further enhances the collective achievement of the global vision 2030, hence its relevance to the study. However, the rise of the fake news phenomenon is seen as a potential barrier to the attainment of the SDG16 in Ghana. Unauthentic news that mimics real news with the intent to cause havoc and chaos has the potency to affect the peace and stability of every nation. The situation in Africa, especially Ghana, with regard to the dissemination of fake news is quite alarming owing to the fact that individuals and institutions, including the media, the most trusted source of information, are not endowed with the capacity and systems to deal with fake new.