…..REITERATES ITS COMMITMENT IN UPHOLDING BEST ELECTORAL PRACTICE
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has organized a Two Day Workshop for Broadcast Journalists across the country to curtail the menace of disinformation and fake news at the Radisson Blu Hotel Ikeja Lagos on the 25th October 2024.
The theme of the Workshop is “Contextualising INEC’s Responsibility and Public Expectations Amid Fake News and Disinformation for Broadcast Media”, which has in attendance INEC top officials and Broadcast Journalists all over the country.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, said that electoral activities in Nigeria is a big tasks that requires uprightness, integrity and diligence as contained in the Commission’s guiding values and principles.
Adding that as an Election Management Body, EMB, the Commission is to provide the media and journalists with information on its activities, election time tables, arrangement for the elections, voting procedures and processes as well as other information related to the electoral process; with the aim of ensuring factual and credible reporting of electoral processes, including accurate civic and voter education.
He strssed that to this end therefore, the Commission has always been making efforts to support capacity building for journalists and other media professionals on election reporting, devoid of fake news and disinformation.
Yakubu who was represented by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, stated that this is why the Commission at all times in the course of discharging its statutory duties, has always made electoral information freely available and accessible to the media.
He however lamented the notorious effect of fake news and disinformation in our society, adding that it has brought about lack of trust and bias in the electoral system.
“It is therefore expected that this workshop will assist, to bring into proper perspective, the importance of giving and receiving untainted information, in order to enhance trust in our electoral process.
“We should all take it as our collective responsibility, that fake news and disinformation have no thriving space in our society”.
He therefore urge all participants to take this workshop seriously so that at the end of it, as it would be able to map out ways and strategies on how to improve and deliver transparent, credible and acceptable electoral processes, devoid of any bias or sentiment; borne out of fake news and disinformation.
In the same vein, the Lagos State Residents Electoral Commission, REC, Prof. Abayomi Salami, ssid that fake news and disinformation in our society has brought about lack of trust and bias in the electoral system.
He added that the Workshop will assist to bring into proper perspective, the importance of giving and receiving untainted information, in order to enhance trust in our electoral process.
He stressed that if the Broadcast Media take it as a collective responsibility, fake news and disinformation will not have a thriving space in our society.
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