Group Implores Media on Fact-checking Against Fake News in Nigeria
Rebecca Ejifoma
A coalition of primarily youth-led civic society organisations, Safeguarding Online Civic Space (SOCS) group, Thursday, implored the media on fact-checking and providing accurate reporting to nip misinformation, disinformation, and fake news in the bud.
According to the Chair of SOCS, Dr Funmi Akinyele, at a media briefing, the call for fact-checking became paramount to avoid online bullying and malformation in the digital space.
The Chairperson of SOCS, Dr Funmi Akinyele, noted that the integrity of this year’s general election was significantly tested in the online civic space by the fake news, which took different shapes as millions of Nigerians, particularly eligible voters, got their information from social media.
“Considering the ripples left behind by this menace of fake news during the last elections, the overarching goal of this project is to protect online civic space by combating voter misinformation and disinformation while improving access to accurate civic information inclusively.
“Unfortunately, some individuals, either by omission or commission, have distorted information, leading to misinformation, disinformation, and malformation,” she emphasised.
Akinyele also decried the misuse and repression of both offline and digital civic spaces, which has contributed to the perceptions, mostly negative, of members of the international community about Nigeria.
She insisted that the digital civic space must be protected to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process, especially with the introduction of digital instruments.
The chairperson added: “We once more appeal to everyone to work with us as we continue to travel throughout the nation’s six geopolitical zones to protect the digital civic space by battling misinformation, disinformation, and online harassment and bullying.”
The group further sought to partner with the media to combat voter misinformation and disinformation, enhance inclusive voter and civic education, and produce evidence regarding the openness and integrity of the digital civic space, while monitoring the political and economic environment
“To accomplish this, we ask the media to continue to help combat misinformation, disinformation and fake news by fact-checking and providing accurate reporting,” she appealed.
Akinyele further relayed the group’s expectation of media practitioners to provide online broadcasts, reports, and web links that illustrate the Safeguarding Digital Civic Space for Electoral Integrity (SDSEI) goals.
“We request that you please use your platforms to create an environment where the goal of safeguarding digital civic space is achieved,” she enjoined.
In his remark, the Lead of the Research Centre for Development Action, Austin Aigbe, explained that before the elections, 108 fact-checkers were trained to burst fake news, which could have further affected the integrity of the last elections.
Aigbe urged government agencies to always dispense information as and when due to check misinformation, disinformation, and misinformation.
He admonished the media to be conscious of the correct information. “As a matter of urgency, if you cannot independently verify a story, don’t share it,” he cautioned.
With the SOCS Group funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) Project, the group encouraged everyone to work with them as they continue to travel throughout the six geopolitical zones to protect the digital civic space by battling misinformation, disinformation, and online harassment and bullying.
