Update:
After numerous texts, calls and an email, Ghanaweb have removed the offending article. I have however decided to keep this article as it speaks to bigger issues and also serves as a guide for what to do should anyone else find themselves in this unfortunate predicament.
I was at a writer’s retreat with friends, researching for a piece, when I stumbled across a story on GhanaWeb from ten days ago which alleged that “Kobby Graham” had murdered his girlfriend.
My late US-based cousin was called Kobbie, and I believe there may be one or two younger Tuesday-born Grahams who’ve started calling themselves Kobby too, but there aren’t many Kobby Grahams online, and certainly none with as long and visible a history of blogging as I have. If you live in Ghana and engage with its cultural scene, there’s a reasonable chance I’m the Kobby who the article will bring to mind.
It was hosted on GhanaWeb, one of our country’s most widely read news platforms. But a little digging revealed that this wasn’t traditional reporting. It had been published under something called Zeqblog Blog, part of what appears to be a blogging platform on Ghanaweb. At the top right of the article, a contributor named “Okine Isaac” is listed as the source. But clicking on his name takes you nowhere useful: just back to a generic GhanaWeb blog archive.
No profile. No contact. No accountability.
Ironically, a disclaimer sits quietly at the top of the page:
“This blog is managed by the content creator and not GhanaWeb, its affiliates, or employees. Advertising on this blog requires a minimum of GH₵50 a week. Contact the blog owner with any queries.”
The problem isn’t only that the story is false. It’s that there is no clear way to hold anyone responsible for the falsehood. I followed the links, searched the site, and tried to find a way to contact the blog’s author. The hyperlink attached to his name doesn’t lead to a profile, biography, or contact form: just a faceless collection of posts elsewhere on Ghanaweb. It’s not clear whether this author is a real person, a pseudonym, or a bot.
The Bigger Issue
Even trying to report the problem was its own wahala. GhanaWeb’s About Us page links to a Contact section that lists a postal address in Amsterdam, a general email, a sales number, and a vague instruction to use the “feedback link at the bottom of the page.” There is no clear path for editorial concerns or urgent corrections, let alone defamation. For a platform of its reach and longevity, this level of opacity is deeply concerning.
The irony is that the same year I took up an appointment at Ashesi University – back when I was doing DUST magazine – I was interviewed and invited to become GhanaWeb’s editor. I declined. And now, years later, the website is accusing me of being a killer.
Interesting.
The Cost of Misinformation in a Post-Truth Ghana
In case it needs spelling out: I am not involved in any criminal case. I am not even GH Kobby. A quick Google search (the kind you don’t need a journalism degree to perform, mind) reveals that the person mentioned in the article is a TikTok content creator named Hayford Boateng.
We are not the same person. We barely share the same name. We do not even share a profession.
And yet, because GhanaWeb is allowing unvetted blog content on its platform – with headlines indexed by Google – my name became associated with a murder. One poorly written post, and a potential reputational crisis was born.
Tcheew.
What if someone Googles me and doesn’t read beyond the headline? What if a student, colleague, or editor comes across the article out of context? What if this misinformation is repeated elsewhere? It doesn’t take much. The internet rarely distinguishes between nuance and noise.
Names and reputations matter, and platforms have responsibilities. They can’t just choose reach over journalistic rigour.
Who Protects the Public from Platforms?
There’s a larger issue here.
GhanaWeb – like many large platforms – has opened itself up to user-generated content, but appears to have done so with little to no oversight. There is no evident vetting process. No clear editorial structure.
And yet, the site profits from hosting these blogs, even inviting advertisers to pay for space. What’s emerged is a system where anonymous users – possibly bots – can publish damaging content under the GhanaWeb banner, with no checks and balances. And when someone is defamed, the platform simply gestures at its disclaimer and moves on.
That’s not responsible publishing.
I think the scientific name for such things is bullshit.
We are constantly told to curate our online identities with care. But what happens when platforms refuse to exercise the same responsibility? Who is held accountable when that negligence causes harm?
When a public-facing platform like GhanaWeb operates as a blog host, it invites – and formalizes – a certain kind of chaos. Real names get pulled into false stories. Misinformation becomes searchable. And individuals are left to clean up messes they never made.
It’s one thing for a rogue Facebook post to spread lies. It’s quite another when one of the country’s most established news portals gives that misinformation a permanent home, complete with a monetisation option.
GhanaWeb must be willing to take responsibility for what appears under its domain. It owes its readers – and those named in its stories – the following:
- A clear takedown process with contact points for urgent corrections.
- A moderation policy that reviews blog content, especially when serious allegations are involved.
- A verification step for blog creators, to prevent anonymity from becoming a shield for harm.
- A public commitment to accuracy, even within user-generated content.
A news platform can’t just prioritise convenience over ethics.
If This Happens to You
I’ve written this not just to protect my name, but because if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. I’ve spent years building a public life around culture and ideas. That all of it can be undone – or at least disrupted – by a single search result is wild.
If you ever find yourself falsely accused or misrepresented online, start by documenting everything: take screenshots, note URLs, and date-stamp all evidence. Search the site for contact information, however obscure, and send a formal takedown request.
If the platform is unresponsive or evasive, consider making a public statement to clarify the facts. Consult a lawyer if you can. And most importantly, don’t let it slide: silence often emboldens this kind of sloppiness.
A Final Note to GhanaWeb
I have emailed GhanaWeb regarding the post. I hope that it’s been taken down by the time you are reading this. If it is not taken down within 48 hours, I will proceed with legal action.
GhanaWeb may prefer disclaimers to due diligence, but I take the protection of my name seriously. And I will not allow a lazy publishing loophole to do damage that a simple Google search could have prevented.
Kobby Ankomah Graham 