The Role of Public Relations in the Fight Against Fake News in a Pandemic Era: A Case Study of Ghana Health Service

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease has ravaged the world with a surge in the number of cases and deaths recorded daily. The situation has instilled fear and anxiety in many people, causing them to rely on information from various sources including social media, leading to the propagation of fake news and complicating authentic public health messages. The study sought to investigate the key roles of Public Relations practitioners in their quest to fight the spread of fake news, focusing on the Ghana Health Service. It adopted the qualitative approach with data collected through interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide and analysis of documents. Findings show that, delays in authentic and evidence-based information from health officials coupled with fear and anxiety, led many people to circulate just any information accessed on vast media platforms. The Ghana Health Service public relations practitioners devised various measures and strategies including monitoring of traditional and social media, and developing suitable messages to counter any untrue or filtered information sighted on the deadly disease, to curb and mitigate its effects. Various channels were used in the dissemination of accurate information including national and community television and radios, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the Websites and blogs of the Ministry. Even though the health public relations practitioners achieved their aim, they encountered challenges that threatened their success. For instance in line of duty, pressure was mounted on the public relations practitioners due to the issue of understaffing at the unit. There was an issue of difficulties in influencing the perceptions of people with credible messages and getting them to change their behavioural patterns. The study also revealed how public relations are positioned at top management level but merely observers at management’s deliberations. The study also confirmed the relevance of two-way communication due to its nature of receiving feedbacks as a result of engaging with the publics of the Ministry. The study concludes that, the public relations practitioners of the Ghana Health Service will maintain their position of being at the fore, to relentlessly communicate credible and authentic messages to its publics through traditional and social media platforms until the pandemic becomes history.