Mr. Femi Adesina. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity. |
Presentation
by Mr FEMI ADESINA, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President
Muhammadu Buhari, as part of activities marking NUJ Week, Kogi State, on August
16, 2018
PROTOCOLS
Let
me appreciate the leadership of the NUJ in Kogi State for inviting me to speak
on this very important topic. I believe it is matter of the moment in Nigeria,
not just for journalists in the traditional media, but also for those in
digital media, particularly the social media variant. It is also a crucial
matter for those who have elected to be citizens journalists, who share
information far and wide on platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram etc.
General
elections are less than 200 days away in our country. And how the media reports
between now and then will have great impact on how things turn out. Peaceful?
Free and fair? Violent? Just or flawed? Will the 2019 polls lead to the
enthronement of the best hands in different positions at all levels? Will the
country remain one entity, or be further divided by the polls? A lot would
depend on how the media acquits itself.
FAKE
NEWS
One
thing the media needs to be alert to is the influx of fake news, and the impact
on the outcome of elections. Fake news is made-up information, concocted,
without any authentication. It is fiction masquerading as news.
We
have seen many of such in Nigeria. While our President had his health challenge
last year (something common to every mortal), mischief makers, hateful people,
were already circulating mendacious information, and backing it up with
visuals, which were fabricated by some fecund but devilish minds.
Just
two days ago, fake news wafted out from the mischief factory, when information
began to circulate that President Buhari had written the National Assembly to
extend his current holiday by eleven days. The unwary fell for it, not knowing
that it was a rehash of a press statement issued by the Presidency in February,
last year.
There
are many other examples of fake news that rocked the polity, which we can cite.
America
went to the polls in November 2016. That was an election in which fake news played
major role, either to the advantage or detriment of the candidates.
Statistics
show that there were over 10.6 million shares, reactions, comments on fake news
about the American election on Facebook alone in 2016. This development, which
straddled all social media platforms, went a long way to shape the outcome of
the election.
There
are some people in our country, who are forsworn to shape the outcome of the
2019 polls through fake news. And they will use the media, both traditional and
digital. And journalists will also be involved in the fray, in fact, right in
the middle of it. Will you allow yourselves to be pawns on such chessboard?
Shortly, we will delve into how journalists can report fairly in an election
year.
HATE
SPEECH
Very
close to the phenomenon of fake news is hate speech. In fact, the two are like
Siamese twins. The intention of fake news is often to generate hate, demean,
demonize and de-market.
Wikipedia,
the global online encyclopedia, defines hate speech as "speech that
attacks a person or group on the basis of attributes such as race, religion or
non-religion, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, disability, sexual
orientation, or gender identity."
By
the time fake news and hate speech team up, a huge bomb is waiting to explode. It
can consume a nation, as we have seen in places like Rwanda, Kenya, and many
others. The Nigerian journalist must be wary of this deadly duo, as we approach
national elections.
WHAT
TO DO
How
then can the Nigerian media shun the road to Kigali, which the combination of
fake news and hate speech inexorably is? How do we walk the minefield, which an
election season has become in our country?
But
really, the Nigerian media is not expected to reinvent the wheel. Rather,
journalists should only seek to be ethical. They should practice the profession
according to time-tested requirements, called ethics. If they do, walking the
middle of the road, not veering to the left or right, they can successfully
navigate a minefield, without being blown sky-high, or sending the country into
a tailspin.
WHAT
ARE ETHICS?
By
ethics, we mean standards or principles designed to help professionals conduct
business honestly and with integrity.
The
Code of Ethics is that document that outlines the mission and values of a business
or organization, how professionals should approach problems, and ethical
principles based on core values and standard in which the profession will be
held.
Any
profession worth its salt will have ethics. Hence you have standards guiding
legal practice, accounting, medicine, professional soccer, journalism etc. it
is said there is honor even among thieves. In a way, thieves even have their
standards, as despicable as it may be.
Code
of Ethics lays out rules for behavior and provides a preemptive warning.
ETHICS
OF JOURNALISM
There
are global principles that guide journalism, and these are common to the
profession the world over, with just slight variations here and there. Then,
within the general principles, some things are specifically highlighted by different
media houses as their own in-house irreducible minimum. All are towards
engendering standards of good practice.
The
Code of Ethics (also called Canons of Journalism) has general standards like:
Truthfulness(Truth
is the cornerstone of journalism. As the saying goes, "Truth is the
highest virtue in a man's keeping." ) And particularly more so for
journalists. Without truth, there can't be trust, and without public trust,
there is no worthy journalism.
Accuracy.
Get your facts right. If there is anytime you need to factcheck, possibly over
and over, it is now. You can't afford to push out unverified or unsubstantiated
information. The consequences may be too dire.
Objectivity.
Don't bend the facts to suit a pre-determined position.
Impartiality.
Give all sides fair hearing and treatment
Fairness.
Don't deal anybody a bad hand. That would be malicious. There is presumption of
innocence for even a man caught in a heinous crime, till he is found guilty
Public
Accountability. The media is responsible to the public. Don't do what will
disrupt societal equilibrium.
Limitation
of harm. Withhold details that can further traumatize victims of crime and
evil, particularly when they are minors.
These
codes are universal, and they are for self-monitoring and self-correction of
journalists. They are mainly to help in times of ethical dilemmas.
There
are codes for election coverage that have been developed by media stakeholders.
Every good journalist must have a copy, and internalize the content.
ETHICS
IN NIGERIAN JOURNALISM
Having
seen the global principles, let us now zero in on the code, as ratified by the
Nigerian Press Organization (NPO), the umbrella body of the Nigerian Union of
Journalists, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Newspapers Proprietors
Association of Nigeria.
The
first Code of Ethics came into use in 1979, and was reviewed and adopted at the
Ilorin Forum in 1998. A further review is in process now, but the 1998 code is
the extant one for now.
What
are the provisions of this code?
1.
Editorial independence. Decisions on the content of news must be the
responsibility of only a professional journalist
2.Accuracy
and fairness. Reports must be accurate and balanced, and where mendacity has
been established, there must be retraction, correction and apology. Right of
reply is a cardinal rule of practice. Facts must always be separated from
conjectures
3.
Privacy. Respect the privacy of individuals unless it affects public interest.
You can breach privacy to expose crime, anti-social conduct, to protect public
health, morality and safety etc
4.
Privilege/Non-disclosure. A journalist should never reveal the source of
privileged information, neither should he breach an 'off the record'
understanding
5.
Decency. Comport yourself well, don't use vulgar language, no lurid details of
sex, rape, violence etc
Discrimination.
No reference to ethnicity, religion, sex, physical or mental illness, or
handicap, in a pejorative manner
7.
Reward and gratification. Never take a gift to suppress or publish information.
Don't also accept payment to publish news as it compromises accuracy and
unbiased reportage
8.
Don't glorify violence, obscene display of wealth, and other anti-social acts
9.
Protect children and minors
10.
Access to information. Use only fair means, except when public interest is at
stake
11.
Public interest. Always enhance national interest and public good
12.
Social Responsibility. Promote issues like human rights, good governance,
justice, equity, peace, international understanding etc
13.
Plagiarism. Always attribute when quoting another source
14.
Uphold Press Freedom and Responsibility at all times
POSERS
If
all these principles are there to guide our media professionals, why are we not
keeping to them?
Some
sections of the media are seen as promoting, if not actively participating in
the rot in the country. But you can choose to be an ethical journalist, and be
different.
FINAL
WORDS
Journalists
of all hues and descriptions must practice the profession according to the
rules. That is the only safeguard for the profession and the country in an
election year. Those who play on the digital/ social media, either as
professionals or citizens journalists must remember that facts are sacred.
Don't push out toxic, unsubstantiated information. Don't share falsehood.
Factcheck before you share. And when in doubt, leave out. It is safe for our
country, for her people, and for the reputation of journalism.
Thank
you for listening.
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