Urges journalists to prioritise public interMEDIA practitioners, including journalists and content creators, have been urged to recognise their influential role in shaping narrative and promoting good causes in the society, with a call on them to prioritise public interest over pecuniary motives in the discharge of their professional duties.

The appeal was made during this year’s Iftar with Media and Friends of Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society (NASFAT), at the weekend, held at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) Banquet Hall, Alausa, Ikeja, themed: “Ethical Pulse: Media as a Catalyst for Dawah & Human Growth.”

NASFAT President, Abdulrauf Ayodeji, said the organisation deliberately chose this year’s Ramadan theme to emphasise the value of truth and responsible communication.

He noted that saving lives is not limited to medical or physical intervention but also includes protecting the society from harmful narratives, misinformation and propaganda.

He added that journalists and media professionals play a vital role in safeguarding civil rights and promoting unity.

Imam Morufdeen Onike, who spoke at the event attended by Yoruba movie superstars, stressed that journalists must be guided by a sense of responsibility and service without harbouring personal motives other than the public interest.

Onike described the media as a powerful platform capable of shaping habits, society, and aspirations.

The cleric also cautioned media practitioners against being used by politicians to advance their personal interests, warning that the nation is entering a delicate period in its electioneering process, where different lies and propaganda would be dominating the media space.

Also, NASFAT National Da’wah Officer, Abdul-Ganiyy Raji, in his keynote address, urged journalists to defend and safeguard the national stability through truthfulness, fairness and justice in their reportage, warning that they must never amplify division, exaggerate crises and present Nigeria as irredeemable.

Similarly, Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, while urging greater media responsibility on the part of the Nigerian youths, admitted that the spread of unverified information is causing serious harm in the country.

He noted that the youths of today now use the media to get attention and for viral purposes, without considering the implications of their actions and the risk they pose to other users.

The Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile, called on Islamic scholars to be digitally present on social media, warning that abandoning it to unregulated voices risks entrenching misinformation, division and misrepresentation of Islam.

Akosile, who described Nollywood as a significant arm of the media ecosystem with strong influence over cultural values and public opinion, urged filmmakers and actors to use their platforms to promote unity and positive storytelling.

He said, “You’ll find out that the world is shrinking and converging in that digital space. As Muslims, we need to take control of that digital space so that we can reach out to adherents of Islam to let everybody know the truth from what is not true.”
est over pecuniary motives