Whenever we dwell on how hate speeches and fake news affect our democracy we must also look at how improper journalism is being practiced in Nigeria.
Journalism is said to be the production and distribution of reports on current events based on facts and supported with proof or evidence. Unfortunately, the system in Nigeria is quite different as some media organisations have changed the system to something else.
I recall the cases of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) vs Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 general election campaign period and African Independent Television (AIT) v. same Muhammadu Buhari. These two media organisations had almost blackmailed the incumbent president when he was contesting.
I also remember when Sahara Reporters was criticising former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan when he was the president in favour of the then retired Major General Buhari, who was the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Chairman of Borno State Civil Service, Dr. Bulama Mali Gubio, said during the 2019 Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Borno state chapter convention that, “If anyone can tell his lies and journalists didn’t take it as news in their bulletin, hate speeches can’t be promoted”. Unfortunately, some journalists are in a hurry to be the first to break the news without confirming the reliability of the story, which is not in line with the ethics of journalism.
It’s also observed that most fake news are generated just to create hate speech by mischief makers mainly to create conflict in the society.
It has also reiterated by a Professor of Mass Communication and Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Kashere, Prof. Umaru Pate, that the trend is “dangerous, unethical, provocative and subversive to peace and societal serenity.
“Fake news misinforms and misdirects society with severe consequences on individual and national systems. It heightens tension, builds fear and mistrust among people”, he said.
Can we say some of the journalists now are making these mistakes just because they didn’t pass through a department of mass communication in tertiary institutions or what?
You will even be ashamed of yourself or feel sad when you read, watch or listen to some stories in some of the media in Nigeria. You will definitely understand that the editors don’t even know what they’re doing at all. Sahara Reporters and Desert Herald newspapers are a case of study.
It has also been observed that some of the ethics of journalism like “non-disclosure” are making some journalists to write rubbish and encourage bad journalism in Nigeria.
The truth is; whether we like it or not, bad journalism is crippling Nigeria and creating disunity among Nigerians. We have even reached the point where northerners celebrate a disaster that occurred in southern part of Nigeria while southerners celebrate disaster that occurred in the North.
It’s also found that some politicians collude with some weak and corrupt journalists or media organisations to write and report issues just to tarnish the image of their opposition.
We need to also consider the fact that fake news and hate speeches are the main issues that people always rush to share on social media. Social media has really created more harm than good in journalism practice in Nigeria. Today, almost everyone considers himself/herself as a journalist. Someone will just write something that is not worth sharing and post on social media in the name of news without abiding by the ethics of journalism.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had declared that fake news could “threaten and destroy’’ the country and also launched a campaign against it.
It is high time media practitioners understood that fake news will make their organisation to lose credibility. Politicians should note that the use of fake news and hate speech as a weapons for campaign will never be a solution to Nigeria’s problems and should stop the nonsense.
Gulani writes from the
Information Unit,
Yobe State University, Damaturu.
