A former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has urged major stakeholders in Nigeria’s journalism space to embark on self-regulation to save the profession from quacks and “emergency reporters”.
Speaking in Abeokuta during the sixth anniversary of Penpushing Media, Amosun, who chaired the occasion, highlighted the concerns raised on the proliferation of online media platforms. He acknowledged the advantages of digital media but expressed worry over the spread of misinformation.
He said, “Online journalism has become indispensable in today’s fast internet-enabled world as people turn to online media for news and information.”
He, therefore, warned against the negative aspects such as rumour peddling, fake news and manipulative propaganda which undermined the credibility of many online platforms.
He further said, “Online media platforms appear to have created an avenue where everyone can lay claim to being a ‘citizen or digital journalist’ and engage in spreading news stories not minding whether they are factual or not.”
He pointed out that while some people disseminated false information due to ignorance of journalistic ethics, others did so maliciously to discredit and damage reputation.
He lamented that negative news often gained more traction than positive stories and warned that the trend was becoming the new normal.
Amosun stressed the importance of regulating online and social media to distinguish credible platforms from unscrupulous ones, many of which were unregistered and operated by faceless promoters.
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