Responsible digital reporting must take priority over the race to publish first, Ghanaian content creator and YouTuber Kwadwo Sheldon has told participants at ETHOCON 2026 in Accra.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Ethical Hacking and Offensive Cybersecurity Conference, Sheldon said eight years in digital media had taught him that commentary without research could quickly become misinformation.
He said creators now command large audiences and must recognise that their posts can affect reputations, public debate and their own exposure to legal action. “It is better to be right than to be first,” Sheldon said.
Verification before virality
Sheldon explained that his team is regularly reminded to verify claims before producing videos or commenting on trending issues.
That sometimes means publishing a story two days after other platforms have moved on it. “Accuracy matters more than speed,” he said.
Sheldon admitted that his platform does not always get everything right. He referred to a recent video involving Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament that contained inaccurate information.
After reviewing the material, the team removed the incorrect portion and replaced it with verified information, he said. The response was immediate rather than defensive.
That admission matters. Digital publishers frequently criticise institutions for refusing to correct errors. Sheldon’s position is that creators should be willing to apply the same standard to themselves.
The YouTuber also disclosed that his platform had received emails threatening legal action and demanding the removal of stories. Such pressure, he said, reinforced the need for careful editorial decisions before content goes live.
Certain subjects are deliberately avoided by his team, particularly allegations involving private family matters. Sheldon said these disputes are often more complicated than they first appear, with later evidence capable of changing the entire account.
Publishing one version too quickly can lead to a retraction, reputational damage or an avoidable lawsuit. “I choose to be cautious,” he said.
Information can become a digital risk
ETHOCON 2026 brought cybersecurity practitioners, policymakers, public officials and technology stakeholders together to discuss Ghana’s digital security.
The conference covered issues including data privacy, artificial intelligence, fraud detection and responsible conduct online.
Sheldon’s intervention widened that discussion beyond protecting computer systems. Information itself can become a digital risk when creators distribute it without adequate checks.
His message was not that online platforms should become slow or timid. It was that reach creates responsibility. A creator may win the race to publish within minutes, but one careless claim can take much longer to repair.
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