2023 Election: Media collaboration important to check fake news – Pate

A Professor of Mass Communication, Umaru Pate has advocated media collaboration to curb information disorder that poses challenge to successful conduct of 2023 general elections.

Pate said information disorder which is the sharing or developing of fake news with or without the intent of harming, categorized as misinformation, disinformation and malformation, is becoming prevalent in Nigeria, especially, during electioneering period.

The Mass Communication expert, who is also the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Kashere, in Gombe State said complimentary efforts and collaboration of media organizations in addressing information disorder can guarantee the success of 2023 general elections.

He stated this on Tuesday at a conference organized by Nigerian Fact-Checkers Coalition, on 2023 election, curbing information disorder, held in Abuja.

Solacebase reports that coalition consists of  CJID, ICIR, Dubawa, Africa Check, FactMatterNG, The Insight, CDD, FactCheckHub, TheCable

In his key note address, Pate urged the media to maintain its role of generating ideas that set the agenda for politicians.

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‘’The function of the media in proving early warning signs for authorities to be proactive should not be compromised,’’ Prof. Pate said.

On his part, a partner in the coalition and Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Mr. Dayo Aiyetan, decried state sponsored misinformation which is mostly a deliberate attempt to prevent the public from seeing a true picture of a situation.

Aiyetan appealed to the government to collaborate with the coalition to check the spread of fake news and information disorder that is inimical to the success of the 2023 general elections.

In a remark, Deputy Director ,  MacArthur Foundation, Nigeria Office, Dayo Olaide said information disorder is a serious threat to democracy and should not be viewed with levity.

He said fake news that can destroy a country has destroyed many individual lives and families.

Olaide noted that a contributing factor to increasing information disorder is the fact that people are not hold accountable for their actions and inaction on spreading fake news.