By Okechukwu Onuegbu
As the 2027 general election draws nearer, the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), has warned journalists and other media practitioners in the country to disengage from promoting hate speech or risk prosecution.
The Director, Research and Documentation, NPC, Mrs Stella Anumodu gave the warning at a capacity building workshop for media practitioners held in Awka, Anambra State capital, noting that use of hate speech and inflammatory language could cause confusion, unrest or crisis in the society.
According to her, this was why the NPC organised the programme in collaboration with Bounties consult Nigeria limited to empower journalists and aspiring journalists to understand and identify hate speech and inflammatory language in political discourse so as to easily dissipate them.
She urged the practising journalists, including the citizen journalists and students to always verify information available to them, be responsible and ethical in whatever they post or publish on social media and other platforms.
Also speaking, Professor Reginald Facah of Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra State argued that choice of words matters in reporting because according to him, using discriminatory words, attacks, religious warfare framing, dehumanisation and extermination metaphors could be disastrous.
In a presentation, the Head, Department of Broadcasting, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Cornelius Ukwueze argued that being sensitive in reporting political issues could help prevent crisis as well as promote peaceful coexistence.
Another presenter and Head, Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Chinwe Uzochukwu argued that media literacy and critical thinking are useful in overcoming the challenges of information disorder especially in the time of election.
Similarly, Professor Jaja Nwanegbo of the Nnamdi Azikiwe's Political Science Department, while recalling the impact of fake news on politics, urged the public to stop patronising those engaging in spreading falsehood because disengaging from them would help to crumble their businesses.
On his part, Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, Dr Law Mefor, reminded media practitioners about Cyber Crimes Act which he argued could be used in prosecuting journalist and other members of the public for misrepresenting facts, engaging in sensationalism or malicious publications.
The State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, Dr Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, represented by the Chairperson, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Comrade Tochukwu Ifejika commended the NPC for the training and urged more partnerships with them to equally train social media influencers and others in similar issue.
Earlier speaking, the Executive Secretary, NPC, Dr Dili Ezughah, represented by the Director of Public Relations, NPC, Mrs Chinyere Facah, assured journalists of more training and protection in line with the Act establishing the agency but warned that it would never support those engaging in hate speech and malicious publications.