The Socio-Political Significance of Rumors in Ghana

Rumor, be it verbal or published, occupies an important place in Ghanaian socio-political life. Apart from serving as a source of news, it has the potential to shape public opinion about politicians and political institutions, especially ideas about their alleged dealings with the occult. This chapter examines the influence of rumors, generally, in Ghanaian socio-political life. It looks at what rumor is, its character as news, the media for its transmission, the natural compatibility between rumor, religion, and the occult, its influence in politics, and some of the elements that account for the believability of political (occult) rumors. The chapter also explores some of the ways in which the Ghanaian public uses specifically occult rumors as important tools to resist political authority.