by
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has warned journalists to desist from misinformation and fake news, describing it as damaging as terrorism.
Idris gave this warning on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day training workshop on ‘Effective Reporting Towards Strengthening Alternatives to Terrorist Ideologies’ for security and defence correspondents held at the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA.
The Minister, who said sensational reporting could glorify terrorist acts and spread fear, stressed that misinformation and fake news can be as damaging as the terrorist acts themselves, urging journalists to avoid it at all costs.
According to him, terrorism is not merely a physical threat, but 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, 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 endeavour.
“To achieve this, the media should continue to project successful initiatives and programmes of NCTC (National Counter-Terrorism Centre) and ONSA that counter-radicalisation as well as the rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant terrorists into the community,” Idris said.
He advised defence correspondents to work closely with security experts and community leaders to provide a multi-faceted perspective on terrorism and its alternatives.
He said, “Use data and research to back your stories, thereby enhancing credibility and depth.”
