By Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu
A media and public relations expert, Dr. Andee Iheme and the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bauchi State Council, Umar Sai'du have urged media practitioners to upscale their skills on fact-checking to reduce the menace of disinformation and misinformation that threaten the media space.
Speaking separately at a one-day workshop organised by the Union in collaboration with Police in the State to mark this year's World Press Freedom Day held at the NUJ Secretariat. Andee urged the journalists to pay more attention to the importance of fact-checking and concepts of contextualisation for effective and efficient reports to reduce misleading or misinforming the general public on critical issues.
Also speaking, the union's chairman in the state, Comrade Umar Sa'idu said that the NUJ and Police decided to organise the training for 30 journalists drawn from various media houses as part of activities marking this year's World Press Freedom Day.
Umar believed that it is only when journalists are well informed they could share the knowledge widely and educate the public via their media platforms, hence, the decision to organise the training.
He said his administration values training of members and had organised different training for journalists in the state. “We had training on election, security and ICT in the past couple of years. We will continue to organise more training for more journalists with a view to enhancing professionalism and service delivery.
"Let me also advise us to utilize the freedom of expression to protect human rights as the watchdogs of the society and voice of the voiceless. We should avoid fake news, misinformation and disinformation but strive to ensure accuracy and balance reportage of events and activities,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa Mohammed pledged to partner with the NUJ and said "we must acknowledge the sacrifices that journalists make to promote peace, security, and harmony in our state and our nation. We must stand in solidarity with them and ensure their security and safety.
He said that "it is our collective responsibility to educate members of the public about the risks of cybercrime and the impact of misinformation, by teaching people to verify sources and the importance of not spreading unverified information, we can empower individuals to make better decisions online.
"I want to express my deep appreciation for the robust relationship between the media and the Bauchi State Police command. As we move forward, let us work together to defend press freedom, and protect the invaluable work of journalists in our increasingly digital world,” he said.
0 Comments