Information Minister challenges journalists to prevent terrorist’s media exploitation tendency

Abuja (Information Minister’s Crew) – The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku has expressed worry over the continuous exploitation of Nigeria’s free media space by terrorists to propagate ideas that are dangerous to the society.
 
The Minister said this in Abuja on Thursday September 4, 2014 at a forum organised by the Dutch Government on the media’s responsibility in reporting conflict. He said that the unprecedented publicity given to the terrorists’ ideology and activities had helped in promoting confusion among Nigerians about the nature of the insurgency in the country.
 
Labaran Maku further noted that the trend calls for urgent review of the attitudes, behaviours and operational strategies in the media to help end terrorism in Nigeria. “Liberal democracy in Nigeria is today being exploited by terrorists to sell ideas that are dangerous through the media. This is increasingly becoming worrisome to most of us as the freedom and right to self expression does not include the right to convey that idea to other people if the idea is dangerous to them,” he stated. Adding, the media must not grant access to ideas that are harmful and dangerous; any report that will inflame passion should not come from the media, sometimes even the truth should be managed.
 
He expressed concern that the insurgents are also winning more minds through their campaigns in the media and called for a total black out on terrorists, their sponsors and activities. He also inferred that the media seems to have fallen to the antics of the terrorists and is acting in accordance to the dictates and plans of the group to destabilise the country.
 
According to him, the media must begin to report terrorism from the point of view of arousing public hatred for their ideologies and activities and be careful not to play to the game of the terrorists. “We must take terrorism away from the front headlines and portray them from an angle that will expose the dangers associated with them and make society understand the evil they represent,” the Minister disclosed.
 
“We must henceforth desist from celebrating or promoting the terrorists, that is why they even demand or threaten to attack the media when they feel insufficiently reported. Journalists must insulate themselves from the daily occurrences in the society and must endeavour to be objective and neutral in their reports regardless of the parties involved.”
 
The Minister observed that reporting conflict in Nigeria and Africa in general is becoming difficult because of the interests of most media proprietors and their associates. He pointed out that the burden of investing in the media is huge and crucial, but the interest of the public must overtake whatever commercial interests a media proprietor seeks to protect. He added that stakeholders in the media industry, especially journalists must re-examine their conscience in whatever reports they send about events in the society.
 
The Information Minister remarked that the freedom and power bestowed to journalists must be discharged with the highest sense of responsibility to the public and the nation in general. While advocating re-training for journalists, he suggested that a review of the existing regulations would help to check some of the challenges as a step in the right direction.
 
‘Journalists, he noted ought to rise above their interests and that which their proprietors protect, in order to deliver genuine services that would bring growth to the society.’ He intensified that they should be agents of national unity and development and must not be seen to take sides with any group in the course of their duty.
 
Speaking earlier, the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, John Groffen revealed that the role of the media is crucial in promoting national cohesion before and after the 2015 general elections.
 
He called on the local media to perform its roles with utmost responsibility, so as not to jeopardise the efforts of other agencies of Government towards upholding the democratic process. He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the media and security agencies for the smooth conduct of the governorship poll in Osun State.