The United States Embassy in Abuja emphasised the necessity of industry-wide interaction with media professionals on Monday in order to establish a framework for combating disinformation in Nigeria.
At a two-day “Train-the-Trainers Workshop” on battling false information, which was co-hosted by the US consulate and Mythos Lab, the Public Affairs Counsellor of the US Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Adnan Siddiqi insisted that press freedom is vital to the sustenance of Nigeria’s democracy.
Siddiqi claims that the numerous unverified allegations about the just-finished elections and their outcomes that were published in the media made the training necessary.
He, therefore, explained that the capacity-building workshop would enhance the professionalism, institutional memory, and sustainability of media practice in the country.
While noting that stakeholders would not allow covert or overt attempts to muzzle journalism practice in a democracy, he maintained that the principles of good journalism practice such as truth, accuracy, balance, independence, and protection of journalists must be upheld.
The US diplomat said: “In Nigeria, during your just concluded election, there were many unconfirmed reports circulated in the media about election results.
“Voters and readers were misled by the false information and it caused an immediate reaction.
“Many people in Nigeria just accept the content they receive through the media. Many others don’t believe even legitimate news, they distrust everything equally to protect themselves.
“However, it’s very important to the United States in general, to have freedom of the press around the world.
“We see this as intrinsic to democracy. And we still believe that democracy is the best way to organize government to give the advantage that to the people so that their voices are heard, and that they are represented fully in government.
“We feel it’s the best kind of government. And so freedom of the press is something that we encourage all around the world not only through US embassies, but through NGOs, the private sector, and other partnerships.
“We think that it’s a way for the free flow of information to get accurate information out there, but like I said, it’s a competition of ideas.
“Some people are very aggressive in the way they promote their ideas, and some people and some outlets are willing to mislead the public to gain an advantage. And so, this is what we’re trying to prevent. Through this workshop.
“We, at the U.S. Embassy, are pleased to join you and our partner Mythos Labs today to promote greater fact-checking and digital literacy, while giving journalists and editors some practical tips and tools to reduce misinformation and disinformation and promote digital literacy”.
He added that the capacity-building will continue from Abuja on to Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Yobe, and Zamfara.
The Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Mythos Lab, Priyank Mathur said capacity building for media professionals should be prioritised.
He explained that the workshop will focus on key, practical things that editors, reporters, and bureaucracy of the various media associations as well as unions can do to prevent the spread of fake news and misinformation.
