NUJ chair raises alarm over proliferation of content creators posing as journalists

NUJ chair raises alarm over proliferation of content creators posing as journalists

By Mohammed Baba Busu

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger State Council, has raised the alarm over the proliferation of content creators posing as journalists across the state.

The NUJ Chairman, Niger State Council, Comrade Abu Nmodu, said such individuals were contributing to the spread of fake news, misinformation and disinformation in the state.

Nmodu raised the concern on Monday in Minna at a training workshop for Local Government Information Officers and Media Aides, organised by the NUJ in collaboration with the Niger State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

He said most information emanating from the Local Government Areas (LGAs) was either misinformation or disinformation because it was sourced from non-professionals.

“Most of the news from the LGAs is either misinformation or disinformation because it is coming from non-professionals, whereas we have information officers who can give us verified information.

“I want to urge the state and local governments to stop working with content creators who impersonate trained journalists.

“Very soon, we will go after content creators who pose as journalists and use Android phones to generate fake news.

We will not allow them to hide under the guise of being journalists,” he said.

According to him, the training was organised to set the right agenda for the society and strengthen collaboration between information officers, media aides and professional journalists.

He expressed concern that information officers were no longer readily available to provide credible information from their various beats and LGAs.

“Those days, we depended on information officers to get news from rural areas.

“Information officers must be up and doing so that we do not give content creators the space to feed us with lies.

“They should also liaise with journalists as much as possible so that we can interface regularly and bridge the gap in the profession,” Nmodu said.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Obed Nuhu, emphasised the importance of LGA information officers in promoting effective communication between the government and the people.

Nuhu urged LGA chairmen to prioritise information management and maintain close collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Orientation.

He also charged the information officers to distinguish themselves by being productive and assertive, while acquiring the requisite qualifications to enable them function optimally.

In his goodwill message, the National President of the Association of Information Officers of Nigeria, Alhaji Jibril Suleja, urged the participants to work closely with their principals to regularly project the activities and achievements of their respective LGAs.

He stressed the need for effective information dissemination to enhance public understanding of government policies, programmes and activities.

The training brought together Local Government Information Officers and Media Aides from across Niger State.