The Country Director, United Nations Information Centre, Ronald Kayanja, has urged the Federal Government to make laws to check the use of social media in propagating fake news in the country.
Kayanja said that if the FG failed to create laws to regulate the fake news contents on the social media, especially Facebook, the country might be sliding down the precipice.
The UN Country Director, who acknowledged that fake news on social media had led to hate speeches among Nigerian citizens, accused politicians of paying the criminals behind the spread of fake news.
Some countries have put in place legislation to fight fake news
He spoke at the second anniversary of the Penpushing Media, which had the theme: “The Media and the Quest for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions in Nigeria,” held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun
State.
Kayanja, therefore, urged Nigerian journalists to use their profession to disseminate authentic news in order to make the
purveyors of fake news irrelevant and to save the country from the danger of hate
speeches.
He said, “In this era of fake news, we need more of authentic news. We have organised criminals of fake news, who are Facebook users and are paid by politicians to propagate fake news for political reasons. The government should create legislation to fight the danger of fake news that is eating up the society.
“Some countries have put in place legislation to fight the phenomenon of fake news. We should work to achieve a just society. The country faces huge challenges on fake news and hate speeches. Government should create legislation for this.”
Kayanja lamented that fake news was destroying the society, charging the Nigerian media
to produce more authentic news so as to bridge the gap between the authentic and fake
news.
“The media should produce authentic news so that there will be a clear line between the authentic news and the fake news,” he
said.
He urged youths not to pocket their innovations, but continue to strive for its accomplishment.
