Journalists advised against fake news, activism

Media practitioners, including independent social media buffs, have been charged to verify any story before publishing or sharing to avoid spreading fake news.

In a webinar with the theme, ‘Safeguarding: Democracy: The Media and Role of Fact Checking in Peaceful Elections’ organised by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), media experts warned that rushing to the press without verification gives rise to the proliferation of fake news.

He gave the warning just as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Publisher of TheCable online newspaper, Simon Kolawole, cautioned journalists against combining their roles with activism.

BBC Pidgin presenter, Adesola Ikulajolu, described fact-checking as a process of critically authenticating a piece of information.

The investigative reporter said fact-checking gives journalists an edge above others in news accuracy, which curbs fake news dissemination.

According to him, though humans are subjective beings with personal biases, the bias should be suppressed during fact-checking.

Noting that negative biases distort fact-checking, Ikulajolu advised journalists to understand and manage their biases while on the job.

Publisher of BONews Service, Blessing Oladunjoye , in her presentation, entitled ‘The media’s impact in the 2023 general elections and the misinformation challenge’ said misinformation or fake news “is a human rights issue” as far as elections are concerned, since voting is a fundamental right and the voter has the right to accurate information about parties and candidate to ensure a credible election.

She said: “Disinformation is a human rights issue because when it spreads, it can cause harm to a range of human rights issues, such as the right to free and fair elections.”

Anchor of the webinar, Zikora Ibeh of CAPPA, said information consumers and other citizens also have roles in curbing misinformation.

TheCable online publisher, Simon Kolawole, spoke at the Communication festival, organised by the Mass Communication Alumni Association (UMCAA) of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), yesterday.

He observed that the growing trend of activism entering the field was unbecoming of journalists interested in promoting balanced and fair reporting.

He, however, noted that while activism may champion course, journalists must be committed to the ethical standards, which differentiate it from the former.

He also underscored the importance of objectivity in journalism, adding that journalists, who practiced activism were likely to be unethical.

“Journalism and activism are two different things guided by different rules. If a journalist wants to be an activist and vice versa, the rule of journalism must be obeyed which are objectivity, balance and fairness, including all the basic things that are required of a journalist must be obeyed if journalism and activism are to shake hands,” he stressed.

He encouraged that journalists must rise above personal biases and be emotionally detached from their reports, saying this is what separates the professional journalism from activism.

In his remarks, the Head of the Department, who doubles as the Chairman of the occasion, Prof Adepoju Tejumaiye, emphasised the need for the town to support the gown in the areas of knowledge of the industry sharing and other aspects.

In her remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, who was represented by the Dean, Students Affairs, Prof Musa Obalola, tasked student journalists to be committed to ethical standards of the profession.