Volume 9 | Issue 2 | 1 Journal of Nursing & Healthcare J Nur Healthcare, 2024 Ghanaian Journalists and The Spread of Rumors During the Covid19 Pandemic: Views from Five Regions Research Article Rabiu Alhassan 1,2 , Kafui Tsekpo3, Etse Sikanku, Anastasiia Nurzhynska, Anna Leena Lohiniva, Eulette Ewart4, Hudi Alhassan5, Iddi Iddrisu6, Charity Nikoi7 and Evelyn Baddoo8 1 FactSpace West Africa 3 United Nations Children's Fund, Ghana * Corresponding Author Rabiu Alhassan, FactSpace West Africa Submitted: 2024, Feb 08; Accepted: 2024, Mar 15; Published: 2024, Mar 22 ISSN 2475-529X Citation: Alhassan, R., Tsekpo, K., Sikanku, E., Nurzhynska, A., Lohiniva, A. L. et al. (2024). Ghanaian Journalists and The Spread of Rumors During the Covid19 Pandemic: Views from Five Regions. J Nur Healthcare, 9(2), 01-12. Abstract This qualitative study examines the role of Ghanaian journalists in disseminating rumors, misinformation, and disinformation during the Covid19 pandemic. Additionally, the study investigates how this information was transmitted and spread among journalists, as well as the motivating factors behind their actions. The participants in the study were purposely selected from five administrative regions of Ghana that had a lower uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, as classified by the Ghana Health Services. The findings of the study indicate that journalists played a significant role in spreading disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. The interviewees in this study attributed this to various reasons, such as parochial and partisan interests, lack of information, deliberate attempts to force verification, and pressure associated with the job. The study concludes that the involvement of journalists in the spread of rumors about the COVID-19 pandemic and related issues can be attributed to the liberalized nature of the media space in Ghana with its excessive commercialization and rush for breaking news. This competition for news has led many journalists to neglect due diligence and professional ethics in sourcing and disseminating information to the public. This study highlights the need for policymakers to establish effective measures for regulating the ethics and standards of journalism in line with the relevant constitutional provisions and democratic practice. Keywords: COVID-19, Rumor, Social-Media, Misinformation, Disinformation, Ghana, Media, Journalists Introduction In early 2020, the novel human virus: The outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused a worldwide public health crisis, with Covid19 becoming the official name for the disease it causes (Ai et al. 2021). However, the pandemic also triggered an overflow of information, much of which was unreliable and spread rapidly, complicating the management of the crisis, particularly given the prevalence of the internet and social media in the current information age [1-3]. As a critical institution in crisis management, the media provides a two-way channel for the dissemination of information between governance institutions and citizens. In liberal democracies like Ghana, a thriving media space allows for the easy flow of information. In March 2020, when Ghana officially entered lockdown mode, President Nana Akufo Addo began periodically addressing the nation about the government’s efforts to contain the situation and win public support to forge a united front in managing the pandemic [4]. The literature on rumors suggests that they are prevalent in both industrialized and traditional societies. Rumor spreading is a common method for information dissemination within and among networks in every society. Social psychology defines a rumor as a story, news information or statement circulating in the public domain without confirmation or certainty of facts [5]. As a result, rumors, like insults or taboos, arise in situations of ambiguity or ambivalence [6]. Rumors occur when there is little clarity on an issue, information is not readily available, or people feel an acute need for security [7]. Consequently, rumors are a powerful, pervasive, and persistent force that affects individuals and groups [8, 9]. The simplicity of implementing rumors and their effectiveness makes them relevant for studying to understand their effect on aspects of societal relations [10]. In this study, the term rumor is used to refer the propagation of false or unverified information through social media or digital platforms in any form that mimics accurate news. Since Ghana’s return to constitutional rule in 1993, the nation’s media landscape has grown significantly, with hundreds of media outlets now available throughout the country [11]. This expansion has positioned the media as a key player in the dissemination of information, making it accessible even in remote areas. This