Propaganda, fake news big concern for industry operators
The sudden spread of high level propaganda and fake news designed to mislead people have become major concerns in the industry as media specialists agreed that both are interwoven with single objective to deceive people into believing what is fabricated for mischievous purpose.
Top media experts who assessed fake news and its implications recently however consented that the phenomenon is not a new problem but its recent wild spread across systems enhanced mostly by social media is becoming a threat to life, relationships and democracy.
The media experts including, Reuben Abati, former special assistant media to former President Goodluck Jonathan; Lolu Akinwunmi, CEO of Prima Garnet Africa; Bolaji Okusaga, CEO Precise; Femi Awoyemi of Proshare; Bolanle Olatunde, a former Vice Chairman of NIPR, Lagos; Gabriel Akinadewo, a former editor of The New Telegraph and Dotun Oladipo, President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers shared their perspectives on the subject last weekend in Lagos at the unveiling of a book ‘Brands in the News’ authored by Raheem Akingbolu, a reporter with ThisDay.
They regretted that the media especially social media platforms that supposed to be tool to enhance societal development has turned into weapon for society destruction as fabricated news about individuals and groups are wilfully disseminated. They cited copious examples that are damaging to peoples reputation.
Admitting that fake news is the hottest subject today, Abati associated the wild occurrence to emergence and reliance on social media for information. It is also due to globalisation which has deepened competition and thrown up new values. He noted that with technology, everybody has unfortunately become a journalist which has triggered battle for the mind of an news consumer.
Fake news described as misinformation and sensationalism, he said creates confusion and raises question about media that supposed to be responsible. Traditionally, journalists should provide credible news, entertain and educate but where media reaches a level where it is a tool for creating confusion and damaging people, then there is trouble, he said.
The situation is worse in the social media where sites are even created to damage and favour people against others and propaganda taken to higher level even during elections to influence votes and this is dangerous to democracy.
Stating emphatically that the media globally has failed in its responsibility both at individuals and institutions level, Abati cited example that sub desk which supposed to be engine of media is now the weakest link in the media chain as there are plethora of headline and grammatical errors.
To checkmate the dangerous trend, Abati suggested some control especially for the social media.
Bolanle who said that poverty of mind is the cause of dishing out fake news called for regulation bill to check the activities of social media while Bolaji Okusaga suggested for self-regulation instead of censorship of the media.
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Wole Olanipekun, a renowned legal practitioner who laid out the territory for the discuss from professional and ethical dimensions urged media practitioners to develop conscience, responsibility and values in the assignment of information dissemination.
Raheem’s book is a compilation of his articles on brands over a period.
Daniel Obi