- Agency Report
Malam Ali M. Ali, the Managing Director(MD) of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), has said that quick countering of fake news by communication specialists would curtail its damage.
He made this known in Abuja on Wednesday in a paper he presented at a roundtable organised by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), and Development Specs Academy (DSA).
The theme of the event was “Asymmetrical National Security Challenges, the Army and National Development”.
Ali spoke on the topic “Professional News Management as Panacea for Infodemics, Misinformation and Fake news”.
He declared that there was need for timely countering of misinformation which entailed striking a balance between speedy response, and the volume of information available for the responding outlet.
“A burning issue should not be allowed to fester before we react, although there are times when silence is said to be golden until an auspicious time when a valid response would be desirable.”
The MD also said that the media, globally, play a very important role in practically every aspect of life.
“In an increasingly shrinking global space marked by exponential growth in media convergence and artificial intelligence, the dampeners of infodemics, misinformation and fake news have all but assumed lives of their own.
“This development rightly ought to be a source of concern and it is gratifying that NARC and the Development Specs Academy have given this issue more than a cursory attention.”
He said that Infodemics, as defined by David Rothkopf, a journalist and political scientist, is “a few facts, mixed with fear, speculation and rumour, amplified and relayed swiftly worldwide by modern information technologies”.
Ali said that infodemics was now dominating national life where purveyors of misinformation and fake news turned little facts on their heads to achieve a predetermined end.
Proffering solutions to infodemics, fake news and misinformation, the MD said that truthfulness and accuracy must be upheld in order to build trust with the public.
“The authenticity of a message reinforces that copy or communication. When people perceive the message to be authentic, they tend to believe it the more and show understanding.
“Genuineness or sincerity is critical in winning the people over,” he said.
He also suggested that institutions of state must promote digital literacy among their communications professionals, especially now that the media landscape was constantly in a state of flux.
“As communication specialists, we have to be innovative and refrain from a one-size-fits all communication approach,” he said.
Also speaking, Executive Director, Development Specs Academy (DSA), Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, said that the country had security challenges that were no longer easy to deal with, following traditional methods.
“As such, there is the need for a social reorientation of citizens to divulge information on threats in their communities, to security agencies.
“It is about a progressive change of social attitude, about security at the level of awareness, at the level of people knowing that they should have an interest in securing the society. And should tell persons responsible when they see danger.”
He said that to deal with the nature of Nigeria’s insecurity, it would require social reorientation, having greater partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs),and community-based organisations.
“More importantly, education and reeducation of youth leaders. If they become part of the conversation, they will be in a position to tell those who don’t know, what to do with themselves,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director-General of NARC, retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, said that the objective of the roundtable was to try to foster military-media cooperation and understanding.
Wahab, who was represented by retired Maj.-Gen. James Miyam, said that the media should continuously try to propagate what the Nigerian Army was doing and, by so doing, elicit community support among Nigerian citizens.
“What came out in the roundtable table is that there is an overarching need for perception management by media managers.
“This is for them to understand and balance the need to carry out their responsibilities well.”
He said that the community and citizen support was very critical to the operational activities of the army.
“So, we are trying to now sensitise the entire Nigerian citizenry on the need for them to come to us when they have information that can enhance operational activities of the military.
“They should not shy away; they should quickly come forward and give this information,” he said.
For a former spokesman of the army, retired Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, there was the need to improve the relationship between the Nigerian Army and the public.
This, he said, was to have a better understanding and appreciation of the sacrifices and the efforts of the Nigerian Army in dealing with the security challenges in the country and defending its own territorial integrity.
He also said that non-violence communication could be integrated in the overall communication strategy of the army in dealing with their relationship with the public.
In his submission, a traditional ruler from Delta, Prof. Echefuna Onyebeadi, said that in spite of the overwhelming evidence of the importance of traditional rulers in the management of national security, there existed some challenges that mitigate their proper functioning.
“One of the challenges is lack of constitutional role. The Constitution does not make any specific provision for the role of traditional rulers in this country,” he fumed.
While expressing sadness over ‘security votes’ to state governors without much results in the fight against insecurity, Onyebeadi said that if part of the votes “trickle down to the traditional domain, it would aid national security”.
On the part of the NGO, Executive Director, Hedda Beautiful Hands, Ltd, Hope Ayabina, suggested that the military should get involved with the activities of NGOs.
“They should teach them a skill or two; security skills preferably. That, in itself, can be a tool for intelligence gathering,” he said.(NAN)