By Richard Akintade
The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Osun State Council has engaged media practitioners, civil society organisations, informal sector and students’ movement on the menace of fake news and hate speech on electoral process and in a fledging democracy like Nigeria.
The interaction on Tuesday, which was tagged : ‘Stakeholders’ Summit on Fake News and Hate Speech in Election:The Possible Havoc to Developing Democracy’ had a mass communication scholar, Dr. Joseph Obasanjo Oloyede from the Department of Mass Communication, Bowen University, Iwo, as a Guest Lecturer.
According to Oloyede, in his speech took media practitioners and other stakeholders in the media to an historical allusion on the development of media and society in different political epochs.
He stressed the need for professionalism in the practice of journalism, adding that the profession is in dire need of direction on the path of developmental drive especially in an emerging democracy like Nigeria.
The varsity teacher insisted that media would be dominated with mediocre and obscurantists in the absence of requisite training for practitioners .
He opined that the menace of fake news and propaganda are eating deep into the fabrics of both traditional and new media, canvassing for institutionalisation of gate -keeping.
Oloyede however disagreed on total regulation of the media through legislation, saying it would be counterproductive in the quest of deepening democracy.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of NUJ, Osun Council, Comrade Kehinde Ayatunji emphasised the need for entrenching sanity in the media to make society just and egalitarian.
He argued that democracy was in danger in the face of fake news and political manipulation of media content, as he called on media practitioners to be firm and thorough in their reportage, with an ultimate end of reporting truth always.
Below is the Communique reached at the end of the the summit :
1.The entrenchment of media literacy amongst practitioners, in which requisite media training are required for practice.
2. Conscious harmonization of both traditional and new media on the path of ethical values in journalism, to ensure high professional standards.
3.Legislation for the control of media content within the purview of free press.
4.Sensitization of media practitioners on sensitive content during electioneering.
5.Galvanizing media against political manipulation and propaganda.
6.Emphasis on the concept of fact -check and thorough investigation to ascertain truth and guarantee objectivity.
7.The institutionalisation of gate- keeping in the process of news in traditional and new media.
