2023 POLLS: SHUN FAKE NEWS— INEC TELLS SOUTH EAST JOURNALISTS

REPORTER: CHIKA EWURUM

Nigerian journalists have been charged to ensure that their reports are accurate and unbiased to curb fake news in the 2023 elections.

The Deputy Director Voter Education and Publicity, Independen National Electoral Commission (INEC) Headquarters Abuja, Chukwuemeka Ugboaja, gave the charge in Enugu at a Two Day Capacity Building workshop for journalists and Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) in the Southeast.

The workshop with the topic: Media Training on Conflict Sensitive Reporting, 2023 General Elections and Countering Fake News,” was organized for journalists and CSOs in South-East.

The workshop, which was organized by INEC in collaboration with Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), was geared towards equipping media practitioners and CSOs form effective reportage and monitoring of 2023 general election.

The INEC official Chukwuemeka Ugboaja confirmed the Commission’s determination to train Nigerian journalists for accurate and seamless reportage of 2023 general election.

He challenged journalists to report from hindsight of knowledge and avoid unverified information resulting in fake news .

According to the INEC official, the training which was spread across the six Geo political zones of the country, was targeted at arming media professionals with the technologies and legal framework adopted by INEC for the election.

Mr, Ugboaja, who told mangers of News that INEC office was always open for verification of information encouraged the electorate to visit INEC designated centers for the collection of their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

“The collection of PVCs will start on the 12th December to 21st of January 2023, the people are advised to go to their Local Government or their electoral wards to collect their PVC,” he advised.

The Grant and Partnership Manager Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), Mr. Damian Ihekoronye, emphasized that due to the challenges observed during electioneering period and the need for peaceful, transparent and credible polls in which the media had a critical role to play, was reason for the enlightenment programme.

The CDD Manager noted that conflict sensitive reporting is very important to journalists because of security challenges facing the country.

“Elections come with it’s peculiar challenges and wants the journalists to be more sensitive when they report issues and not to aggravate the security challenges across the country.”

Mr Ihekoronye frowned that the social media was agog with fake News and appeal to members of the forth Estate of the realm, especially the traditional media to play their social responsibility role in countering fake News by educating the society with the right information.

Also the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Chris Isiguzo, described the training as apt and revealed that a lot of media training from other interest groups were going on across the country and was optimistic it would help to douse the negative effect of the social media, especially during elections.

The NUJ President, who was represented by the President Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, (NAWOJ), comrade Ladi Bala, advised participants, including those trained from other platforms to impact on others in their various chapels and newsrooms.

“This particular training is done across six geo political zones, it’s not a one off training. Journalists from different media organizations for different training as this is particularly for the elections,” he said.

Some of the participants said they had had a deeper knowledge of the electoral Act and the BVAS machine.

They commended the organizers the workshop, describing it as insightful.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU