Osun State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, has recommended the creation of fact-checking desks by media organisations in order to confirm and refute inaccurate news stories.
She made the recommendation on Wednesday against the backdrop of the increasing volume and rapidity of fake news constantly flooding the digital media space.
Egbemode is a veteran journalist.
She added that the existing fact-checking organisations in the country must be more alert in discharging their mandates of public protection.
Egbemode, who addressed Nigerian military personnel at the media workshop of the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information, said more than at any time in history, public information must now be done in the most prompt, efficient and transparent manner.
That, according to her, was to keep pace with the nature of communication on the social media while also establishing trust between official sources and the citizens.
Egbemode, who presented a paper on the role of media in countering fake news for national security, said fake news (or its variants such as hate speech, disinformation and falsehood) ranked high as potent tools that could threaten national stability, especially in a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria.
She added that evidence abound globally on how ‘information’ had been weaponised as a tool for social disaffection, disharmony and outright instability among people.
Her words: “In recent history, there are ample evidences to underscore how the prevalence of fake news has fuelled electoral violence, ethno-religious conflicts, leadership mistrust, jungle justice, among others.
“Fake news can enable discriminatory and inflammatory ideas to enter public discourse and be treated as fact. Once embedded, such ideas can in turn be used to create scapegoats, to normalise prejudices, to harden us-versus-them mentalities and even, in extreme cases, to catalyze and justify violence.
“There is no doubt that fake news has emerged as the greatest threat to public safety and national security in the contemporary society. This therefore calls for urgent solutions, part of which include fact checking as an integral media content, prompt and true information from official sources, fidelity to ethical standards, aggressive citizens’ orientation, more participation of professionals in the digital space and increased partnership between the government and the media.
“It is important for the media to avoid being used to peddle falsehood by individuals and groups with questionable motives. We must note that it is not enough to just publish press releases in the name of news stories, but pay attention to verifying all facts to ensure absolute conformity to best ethical standards.
“The media industry must also collectively respond by resuscitating an industry-led ombudsman that can work and make media operators accountable for whatever they do.”
