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Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says fake news is threatening the reputation of the Nigerian media.
Mohammed said this during a one-day symposium on ‘Information as a Public Good’ organised by the ministry in Abuja, on Tuesday.
The minister was represented by Ibidapo Okunnu, the ministry’s director of publication, production and documentation.
He asked media stakeholders to “weed out” persons who are involved in spreading fake news, adding that such acts can lead to “civil unrest” and negatively impact national cohesion.
“This symposium could not have come at a better time. A time when the term collective good has been distorted with the proliferation of fake news, misinformation and hate speech in our media space,” he said.
“This act over time has threatened to tarnish the hard earned reputation garnered by the Nigerian media over the years. As we are all aware, fake news, misinformation and hate speech can lead to civil unrest and also impact negatively on our national cohesions, hence we must ensure this practice.
“To this end, I urge the media, particularly the gatekeepers to weed out those whose activities which include spreading fake news, misinformation and hate speech are undermining professionalism and eroding public confidence in the media.”
Mohammed asked the media to uphold national unity and security in exercising its freedom, adding that there is need to fact-check all information in order to ensure what is being published does not undermine national security.
“Accordingly I wish to reiterate my call to the media to be circumspect as they exercise this freedom taking into cognizance our national unity and security,” he added.
“I want to reiterate my call to the media to set up a desk to fact-check all the information at their disposal before dissemination… To us as a government we see the media as partners in progress to fulfil that which our founding fathers toiled and bled for.”
