Mogaji Wole Arisekola, president of the Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (AMPON), warned Nigerian fake news providers that security agents might prosecute them.
He condemned irresponsible journalism and urged conventional media to battle false news to protect the great profession.
Arisekola, who publishes Street Journal Magazine, told journalists yesterday at Eko Hotel, Lagos, to be socially responsible and ethical.
“I have stated it at various forums and will continue to say that the fake news phenomenon is a major plague that must be battled vigorously in Nigeria, and stakeholders need to assist in changing the narrative. Most significantly, I encourage the government to prosecute false news publishers. To promote civility, bad news and social media must be eliminated.
“Gone are the days when someone would hide behind the computer or their smart phones and will be fooling the public with all sorts of information that are not just inaccurate or phoney but really destructive, disgusting or capable of sparking unrest or lighting the nation on fire,” he stated.
He said that media must present fair, investigative, comprehensive, impartial, and genuine information since there are tools that can trace bogus news.
Arisekola urged Nigerians to be watchful to prevent bogus news from sowing chaos, psychological suffering, and uncertainty.
“A journalist should promote national unity and public welfare, human rights, democracy, justice, equality, peace, and international understanding.
They must evaluate the socio-cultural context in which they work while maintaining the profession’s universal ideals and values.
“This is why we are calling to Nigerians not to ever participate in a knee-jerk response to any news, and to put every information to very severe examination before accepting them as fact,” he stated.
