Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged the media to eschew disinformation and fake news, saying the phenomenon, if left unchecked, could damage the credibility of the media and endanger the country’s peace and security.
Mohammed made the call in Abuja on Friday when he paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of Daar Communications.
“The country today is under the siege of disinformation and fake news. Unfortunately this dangerous trend, if not checked by the media – especially the traditional media – is capable of tearing the fabric of the society and bringing the country to its knees,” he said.
Mohammed said that to make matters worse, a section of the traditional media often amplifies the disinformation and the fake news being spread on social media.
He noted that in spite of the incursion of the social media, the traditional media remains the most credible platform; hence it should not join forces with the purveyors of falsehood.
“My greatest problem is with the traditional media, because most people will probably say social media is what it is. But when the traditional media also latches on the same fake news and the same disinformation, then I begin to get worried for many reasons. Number one, it affects the credibility of the media itself and once the media is no longer believed, once the media loses its credibility, then it has serious consequences for the media and the society as a whole,” the minister said.
He expressed concern that in the past few weeks, the media was saturated with false news on the health of President Muhammadu Buhari, and that despite official denial, some people did not believe the government because of the lies they have read in social media.
In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of Daar Communications, Raymond Paul Dokpesi, said the emergence of fake news is a global phenomenon, but noted that the media group has been absolutely committed to upholding the highest standard of journalism.
