Media Professionals Team Up to Tackle Fake News

Recognising the dangerous threat fake news pose to any society, and as one of the biggest challenges in the communication industry  threatening the authenticity of real news, communication scholars and media professionals have come together to identify means of ending the ugly trend.

The infiltration of fake news appears to be the fastest growing menace in the communication industry. The purveyors of hoax news don’t seem to be perturbed by the level of damage or the implications of their reports on the people involved and society at large.

The spread of fake news is likened to a virus intruding and destroying every fabric of the society, rendering havoc on the nation’s political, economic, tribal, religious and other aspects that make up a society. Its consequences are felt by the high and the low; its dangerous trend has tainted the image of the mighty and weak.  As the powerful lament the harmful effects of fake news on their lives, so were the downtrodden.  As the leaders and those in the position of authority are debunking fake news so also are the led and voiceless raising the alarm over deliberate use of their pictures and names for what they know absolutely nothing about.

Hence, February 21, 2020, the tempo of activities at the University of Ilorin Auditorium was unusually high for the 2020 edition of the Students-Veteran Interaction, an annual event where media professionals, scholars and other experts usually discuss trend in the communication industry with undergraduates.  It is an event where the field is literarily brought to the classroom and campus to enable students to create a nexus between the gown and town.

It was day many students had been waiting for. Lecturers, students from other departments, faculties and from other institutions have also been watching out for what the experts had gotten to say on the challenges of new media in the communication industry. They were also eager to explore new opportunities the new media could offer which are yet to be explored effectively.

To discuss the issues, media professionals from print, broadcast and Public Relations genres were carefully selected to speak on the theme of the event entitled: “Challenges of New media in the communication Industry.” The speakers were: Muritala Ayinla of the New Telegraph, Seun Okinbaloye of Channels Television and Mr Emannuel of Nwachkwu of PR Redline.

Speaking on the danger of new media and its negative impacts in the communication industry, Muritala Ayinla said that despite the gains of new media and how it has revolutionised journalism, the ills of technological advancement are threatening the profession and society at large.

According to him, journalism globally is threatened today by the invasion of untrained and quacks that frequently engage in concocting and fabricating lies and present them in news format to the public using social media. He described fake news as a modified system of propaganda, which has metamorphosed into falsehood, describing those who engage in this act as information traffickers. “The advent of technology-induced fake news has tiptoed into all kinds of reports ranging from politics, business and other sectors causing confusion, condemnation, commendation as well as leading to hatred and wanton killing of innocent souls.

To tackle the scourge, Ayinla said: “The best way to deal with the problem is for trained journalists to dominate the social media with timely dissemination of factual account of events, fact-checking of every bit of information at their disposal before publishing or spreading such information.”

On his part, Mr. Nwachukwu of PR Redline tasked students to embrace positive use of the new media instead of just posing pictures or engaging in other mundane activities on it.

According to him, new media is an avenue to develop their skills and add value to themselves instead of being a passive participant.  He likened the new media to a market where all manner of distractions take place, adding that to actively use the technology, one must focus on the goal one intends to achieve.

Corroborating the speakers, a deputy bursar at the University, Mr Oba Abdulbarki charged the student to place passion above money and ensure ethics of the profession are upheld at all times, adding that every other thing will certainly come their way with ease. He added that it is always honourable and dignifying to make money through honest means rather than embarking on illicit means in the name of getting rich quickly.

On his part, the Head of Mass Communication Department, Dr Mustapha Kayode Lambe explained that essence of the students-veteran interaction, which is first of its kind in any school of communications studies, was to sensitise the students on what obtains after the classroom as well as enabling them to make informed decisions on what aspect of Mass Communication they want to specialise.

Dr Mustapha said the university has made free Wi-Fi available for students to enable them to carry out research and add value to themselves, adding that the department would continue to trail blaze innovations that will distinguish its graduates from other universities in Nigeria and globally.

Other communication scholars and professionals at the event were Associate Professor, Dr. A.L Azeez, the Deputy Dean, Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, Dr Patrick Udende; Dr. Saudat Abdulbaqi, Dr. Rasak Adisa, Dr. Oba La’aro, Dr. Abdulgafar Arikewuyo, Mrs Maryam Mustapha-Lambe and other academic and non-academic staff of the university.