By Tony Adibe
The Director General (DG), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdulahi, has cautioned journalists in the country against publishing fake news while covering the 2023 general elections.
Mallam Abdulahi’s warning came as the issue of fake news or false stories is currently making waves and raising dust in the Nigerian media space, particularly among the users of social media.
The NITDA Director General gave the warning when he formally declared open a digital journalism and fact-checking training workshop put together by NITDA in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and PRNigeria, Publishers of the PRNigeria magazine, held at the Golden Royale Hotel, Enugu.
NewsBits reports that the workshop themed, “Imperatives of Digital News Verifications for 2023 Election,” was meant to be held in 28 states across all the six geo- political zones in Nigeria. The training workshop attended by some Enugu-based journalists witnessed the presentation of researched papers.
However, Mallam Abdulahi, stressed the fact that as professionals, journalists are duty bound to always avoid such unverified reports capable of creating undue tension and misleading or misinforming the masses.
Represented on the occasion by the Head of Communication and External Affairs at NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar, Mallam Abdulahi explained that one of the key objectives of the workshop was to reawaken journalists on the dangers or negative implications of fake news, especially before, during and after the elections.
According to the DG NITDA, the theme of the workshop was quite apt in view of the fact that the 2023 general elections are almost around the corner, adding: “Fake news can mar the forthcoming elections, journalists must always try to verify their news before publishing.”
But in his speech, the National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Chris Isiguzo, explained that the workshop was a continuation of the nationwide capacity engagements spanning 20 states out of the 36 states of Nigeria.
Comrade Isiguzo said that this was in view of the moment of electioneering ahead of the elections, noting that the organizers of the workshop considered it imperative to engage strategic stakeholders participating in the elections.
He advised that journalists must maintain high level of professional ethics in the discharge of their duties, especially in the electioneering period. He also urged journalists to always think about the integrity and peaceful co-existence of the country above other considerations while reporting elections.
Comrade Isiguzo said: “Journalists should be guided by national interest in their reportage. The media must understand that we operate in a condition where we need to pull our people out of ignorance, poverty, and squalor.”
According to him, fake news remained one of the greatest threats to democracy in Nigeria, adding that the NUJ was currently making efforts to rewrite the ethics for journalists. He said: “This has become imperative in the light of the advent of social media.”
