By Aisar Fagge
As part of the preventive measures, the Center for Democratic and Development (CDD) trained journalists and social media influencers on how to combat fake news ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The training Wednesday in Lagos was in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a nonprofit organisation based in the United States of America.
Participants of the workshop, who are mostly journalists, influencers, media experts and members of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), were drawn from different parts of the country in order to have a wider impact on the objective of the event.
The CDD Director, Idayat Hassan, stated that the participants were trained with vital skills on how to identify and prevent the propagation of fake, misleading and incendiary reports sent to them to share on their channels, handles and timelines.
The participants were also cautioned on the dangers of fake news and the implications of misinformation, and how the duo can terrorise the peace in Nigeria.
It was gathered that the training was given on how to use tools forensically, such as Geolocate, Google image search and Tineye, to detect fake videos, tweets, pictures and news.
Politicians use social media to spread fake news
The director also decried the way some politicians avoid media gatekeeping and use social media to spread fake narratives to the public, thus necessitating measures to address the issue.
She further said, “While the phenomenon of political players intentionally disseminating false information is well-known and discussed, the role of digital media influencers who are meant to be the bearers of truth and factual accuracy and in combating misinformation and disinformation has not received as much attention.”
There are many crises online
The CDD Communications Lead, Armsfree Ajanaku, said there are many crises online as people commit violence without consequence.
He stated, “Online gender-based violence exists within a context similar to what happens in real life, which is just as destructive as offline violence.
“We now live in a virtual society, where offline violence has extended to online, which makes it easier for people to commit violence without consequences.
“Women are the main targets of online violence, especially the ones with voices, like female politicians, service personnel, women’s rights activists, journalists, women leaders, etc. As it is globally, Nigeria faces a worse case due to our culturally sensitive environment,” he added.
In his presentation, Introduction to Fake News Ecosystems and Techniques of Spotting and Countering Fake News, CDD Project Manager, Abiodun Banjoko, noted that the 21st Century had seen the weaponisation of information on an unprecedented scale. According to him, disinformation, misinformation and malinformation are the greatest threats to the Information age, especially in a multi-ethnic and religious country like Nigeria. He, therefore, urged the participants to use the skills and knowledge they acquired in combating fake news in their endeavours.
