The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has advised the media to avoid concentration on what divides the country, but rather to focus on the connectors.
Idris, who spoke in Abuja when declaring open a two-day training workshop for Defence Correspondents, urged the Nigerian Media not to yield their platforms to provide publicity for acts of terrorism, which to a larger extent emboldens the perpetrators and sponsors and also dampens the morale of the security forces.
Dwelling on the theme “Effective Reporting Towards Strengthening Alternatives to Terrorist Ideology”, organized by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in partnership with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, the Minister sued for caution and responsible journalism.
“It is not often people who are fighting terrorism are usually acknowledged. It’s important for all of us to know that terrorists are not just fighting a physical war, they are also fighting a psychological war.
“Therefore, it beats my imagination when media managers sometimes subconsciously promote the activities of these terrorists. Without propaganda, terrorism will not thrive,” he said.
Idris said the media should exercise caution and responsibility in their reporting in order not to present the terrorists as heroes fighting for a social cause.
“Terrorism is not merely a physical threat; it is an ideological battle of the mind with the extremist groups exploiting vulnerabilities, spreading fear, and propagating messages that present them as fighting for a social cause, in order to further their depraved agenda. To counter this, we must offer compelling, positive alternatives that resonate with the same audiences targeted by terrorists. Therefore, your reporting plays a pivotal role in this endeavor,” he said.
Idris also noted that sensational reporting, misinformation and fake news can be as damaging as the terrorist acts themselves, hence the need for the media to avoid it at all cost.
Speaking earlier the National Security Adviser, (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu echoed the call for Media professionals to produce contents that would counter or prevent the appeals of terrorism and other non-state armed groups.
Represented by the National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser, Major General Adamu Laka, Ribadu highlighted the need for the media and citizens to jointly combat dysfunctional information to attain a safe and peaceful society that would guarantee sustainable socioeconomic development.
“Terrorist groups have continued to provide dysfunctional information through social media platforms, networking sites, and online propaganda including mainstream and traditional mediums of communication in such manner appealing for easy recruitment of many especially among the youths.
“This training is part of efforts in response to the call of the UN Secretary General’s Plan of Action for member states to develop and implement a national communication strategy, and to ensure the dissemination of positive content across a wide range of media both traditional and digital platforms to counter terrorist appeals and violent extremist narrative,”the National Security Adviser, Ribadu explained.
About thirty Journalists across various media houses are undergoing the training for the first phase.
