President, of the Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (AMPON), Mogaji Wole Arisekola, has cautioned publishers of fake news in Nigeria to desist from the illegal act adding that there is no law restricting security agents from prosecuting such persons.
He expressed displeasure with irresponsible journalism while urging traditional media to join the fight against perpetrators of fake news so that the noble profession will not be hijacked by unqualified hands.
Arisekola, who is also the publisher of Street Journal Magazine, said this in a chat with journalists yesterday in Eko Hotel, Lagos, while urging journalists to be socially responsible while upholding the principles of ethical practice.
“I have said it at different fora and I will continue to maintain that fake news phenomenon is a serious scourge that must be fought headlong in Nigeria and stakeholders need to help in changing the narrative. More importantly, I equally urge the government through its law enforcement agencies to bring the purveyors of fake news to justice. The media space must be rid of irresponsible journalism and the social media must also be sanitised to pave way for decency and propriety.
“Gone are the days where someone will hide behind the computer or his or her smart phones and will be misleading the public with all manners of information that are not only untrue or fake but very damaging, repugnant or capable of causing unrest or setting the country on fire,” he said.
He stated that there are technologies now that can track any purveyor of fake news adding that journalists must be balanced in their reportage, by disseminating investigative, thorough, unbiased and truthful information.
Arisekola called on Nigerians to be vigilant so that fake news purveyors do not succeed in their quest to sow the seeds of chaos, psychological trauma and confusion.
“A journalist must have a penchant for enhancing national unity and public good, promote universal principles of human rights, democracy, justice, equity, peace and international understanding.
They must continually take into consideration the socio-cultural condition under which they operate, even as they don’t lose sight of the universal commitments and requirements of the profession as well as the core values.
“This is why we are appealing to Nigerians not to ever engage in a knee-jerk reaction to any news, and to subject every information to a very serious scrutiny before admitting them as fact,” he said.
