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Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Unbalanced reporting

Presenting only one side of an issue without including or acknowledging other relevant perspectives.

The entire article reports only President Mahama’s claims and framing: - “President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghana is firmly on the path of recovery and renewal, declaring that the country is ‘rising again’...” - “Despite those challenges, he said Ghana has made significant progress through prudent economic management.” - “He also pointed to relative currency stability, renewed business confidence, increased investment...” - “For 2026, President Mahama outlined priorities including digital education, universal primary health care...” There is no mention of independent economic data, expert analysis, or reactions from opposition parties, civil society, or affected citizens that might confirm, nuance, or challenge these claims.

3 suggestions

Add independent verification or context for key claims, e.g.: “According to data from the Ghana Statistical Service, inflation fell from X% in 2024 to Y% in late 2025, broadly consistent with the president’s figures, though some analysts note that food prices remain high for many households.”

Include reactions from other stakeholders, e.g.: “The opposition party welcomed the decline in inflation but argued that unemployment remains high and that many Ghanaians have yet to feel the benefits of the reforms.”

Explicitly signal that only one perspective is being presented if others are not available, e.g.: “The president’s claims could not be independently verified at the time of publication, and opposition parties had not yet responded to the address.”

Appeal to authority

Relying on the status or position of a person (e.g., a president) to lend weight to claims without providing supporting evidence.

Many evaluative statements are presented solely as the president’s assertions, with no supporting data beyond his own framing: - “President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghana is firmly on the path of recovery and renewal, declaring that the country is ‘rising again’...” - “Despite those challenges, he said Ghana has made significant progress through prudent economic management.” - “On the international front, the president said Ghana’s Reset Agenda had enhanced the country’s global standing.” These are broad, positive assessments that rest entirely on the president’s authority and wording, without corroborating evidence or external perspectives.

3 suggestions

Pair the president’s claims with independent data or expert commentary, e.g.: “Economists are divided on the extent of the recovery. While some agree that inflation has eased, others point to persistent youth unemployment and public debt levels.”

Clarify that these are claims, not established facts, e.g.: “The president claimed that Ghana’s Reset Agenda has enhanced the country’s global standing, though recent international rankings show mixed results.”

Include neutral qualifiers where evidence is not provided, e.g.: “The president described these reforms as ‘necessary’ and ‘successful,’ but their long-term impact remains to be seen.”

Unsubstantiated claims

Presenting assertions without sufficient evidence, data, or sourcing to support them.

Several strong positive claims are reported without any external evidence: - “he said Ghana has made significant progress through prudent economic management.” (No specific metrics beyond inflation are provided.) - “He also pointed to relative currency stability, renewed business confidence, increased investment...” (No figures, timeframes, or sources for these trends.) - “the successful renegotiation of Ghana’s debt, noting that the country is beginning to exit the IMF programme ‘with dignity.’” (No details on terms of renegotiation, trade-offs, or independent assessments.) - “the president said Ghana’s Reset Agenda had enhanced the country’s global standing.” (No reference to international indices, diplomatic outcomes, or external evaluations.)

3 suggestions

Add concrete data and sources, e.g.: “According to the Bank of Ghana, the cedi’s exchange rate against the US dollar fluctuated between X and Y in 2025, compared with A and B in 2024, indicating some stabilization.”

Specify the basis for claims about ‘renewed business confidence’ and ‘increased investment’, e.g.: “Foreign direct investment rose from $X billion in 2024 to $Y billion in 2025, according to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.”

For statements about ‘enhanced global standing’, reference measurable indicators, e.g.: “Ghana improved from position X to Y in the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance, though it declined slightly in the World Bank’s Doing Business indicators.”

Oversimplification

Reducing complex economic and political realities to simple, unnuanced narratives.

The narrative frames the situation as a straightforward turnaround: - “we inherited a nation in distress” vs. “Ghana is firmly on the path of recovery and renewal” and “the country is ‘rising again’.” - The article lists reforms and projects (roads, electrification, sectoral improvements) without mentioning potential downsides, trade-offs, or areas where progress may be limited. This creates a simple ‘before: distress / after: rising’ storyline that may not capture ongoing challenges or mixed outcomes.

3 suggestions

Include mention of remaining challenges or mixed indicators, e.g.: “While inflation has fallen, many households still report high living costs, and unemployment among young people remains a concern, according to recent surveys.”

Add nuance to the ‘rising again’ framing, e.g.: “Economists say Ghana has shown signs of recovery in some areas, though the pace and breadth of the rebound are still debated.”

Clarify that the president’s framing is one interpretation, e.g.: “In his address, President Mahama portrayed the past year as a turning point, though independent analysts offer a more cautious assessment.”

Framing effect

Presenting information in a way that emphasizes certain aspects (usually positive or negative) to shape perception.

The article adopts the president’s positive framing almost entirely: - “rising again”, “path of recovery and renewal”, “significant progress”, “prudent economic management”, “enhanced the country’s global standing”. Negative aspects are confined to the inherited situation (“a nation in distress”) and are used mainly to highlight the contrast with the current, more positive framing. There is no alternative framing or neutral contextualization of the same facts.

3 suggestions

Balance the positive framing with neutral or critical context, e.g.: “The president highlighted achievements such as lower inflation and infrastructure projects, while critics argue that many of these initiatives were planned before his tenure and that their impact is uneven across regions.”

Use more neutral language in the reporter’s voice, reserving value-laden terms for direct quotes, e.g.: replace “has assured Ghana is firmly on the path of recovery and renewal” with “stated that Ghana is on a path of recovery and renewal.”

Explicitly distinguish between the president’s framing and independent assessments, e.g.: “While the president described the debt renegotiation as ‘successful’, some analysts warn that the long-term fiscal burden remains high.”