Sam Philip
Experts have charged journalists to tackle misinformation during the off-circle gubernatorial election in Ondo State on Saturday.
They also advised them to be security-conscious while they cover the election.
The experts gave the charge at webinar organized by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in partnership with the European Union Support For Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU SDGN) II held on Wednesday.
The media and civil society experts tasked journalists covering Ondo State election to prevent misinformation, which they noted could cause crisis during the poll.
During the webinar with the theme: “Misinformation and Elections: Journalists, Public Educators, and Opinion Shapers,” the participants were put through on what they should avoid, including picking results from social media and unverified information.
Among the resource persons at the workshop are Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA; Ms. Joke Kujenya, Executive of the Media Mentors Journalism Centre; Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), and Timothy Bamidele, a Programme Manager at Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO).
Oluwafemi stated in his opening remarks that the media’s role in reporting facts is critical, particularly in the era of fake news.
He added that journalists should look at their roles in ensuring “reporting should promote peace and not violence.”
Oluwafemi further noted that “The populace is going to turn to the media for direction, for news, for opinion, and again for perception, and it behoves on us as media practitioners to report the facts as the facts.”
He, however, advised that journalists covering the November 16 off-circle gubernatorial election should see the safety as being sacrosanct.
Speaking on the importance of the webinar, Oluwafemi said: “We’re essentially doing this to promote nonviolent elections in Nigeria. We think we can continue to engage, and educate our people, to ensure that we vote only with our thumbs and not with guns or cutlasses. So, the media plays a very critical role in this level of engagement.”
Another resource person, Ms. Joke Kujenya, the Executive of the Media Mentors Journalism Centre, in her presentation, distinguished between distinctions and misinformation and disinformation, and harped on the responsibilities of journalists in election coverage, the importance of fact-checking organizations, and strategies for monitoring social media.
Kujenya emphasized the importance of verifying information, educating the public about media literacy, critically analysing information, and fostering informed engagement as their key responsibilities.
She said: “Journalists should understand local issues, as well as verify claims before reporting.”
Kujenya, therefore, urged journalists to collaborate with fact-checking organizations to ensure authentic reporting and avoid spreading fake news.
“Journalists are also encouraged to monitor elections on platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp and to be vigilant about emerging narratives propagated by trolls,” she added.
Lanre Arogundade, a prominent journalist, in his address, noted that “18 political parties in the state had signed a peace accord to promote a peaceful and nonviolent election,” and that the state had deployed 41,000 security personnel for public safety on election day.
Nevertheless, he cautioned journalists covering the election should take their security seriously.
Arogundade also informed the participants on the need for journalists to be conflict-sensitive, urging them to utilize I-Verify to fact-check their stories.
The organiser, CAPPA, is a Pan–African organisation that works to advance human rights, challenge corporate abuse of natural resources and build community power for inclusive development and participatory governance.