- RAN, US Govt storm Lagos schools with mentorship scheme
BY CHINYERE OBIORA, LAGOS – Communication experts are canvassing media and information literacy among Nigerians as an effective panacea for increasing incidents of fake news and fallacious reports in the country.
Accordingly, they say stemming the tide of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation, especially the younger population, would be effective if conscious efforts are made in relation to the knowledge, the attitudes, and the sum of the skills required by members of the public to know when and what information they need and should consume.
Already, the Rewired Africa Network (RAN), with support from the United States Department of State, Washington DC, is targeting secondary school students with training on media and information literacy as part of strategic plans to check the fake news syndrome.
Speaking at the ‘Media Literacy Mentorship Graduation’ of students of Sango Senior Secondary School, Agege, Lagos, Public Affairs Officer, United States Consulate in Lagos, Stephen Ibelli, called for the promotion of media literacy across countries.
Ibelli, who cited issues around the COVID-19 vaccine among reasons media literacy has become imperative globally, said despite the vaccines being safe, misinformation and disinformation have made many remain suspicious that they contain a radio transmitter.
He said misinformation, disinformation, and fake news are clear danger signals that must be handled urgently to check their debilitating effects on the people’s psyche
Expressing the hope that the six months media literacy programme would assist the students in spreading the required messages to their friends and families while promoting media literacy in the 21st century, Ibelli said; “We just cannot stop every single post but if we all have the skills to know the source, the facts, and opinion, we will reduce fake news.”
The US Consulate spokesperson, while urging the graduands to spread the good news widely among their peers, friends, and families, said; “The training will help the students to understand what fact is and what fiction is. This is the skill everyone needs now, especially the young because they are the future of Nigeria and therefore having access to know what is right, fiction and truth are essential for democracy.”
In his intervention, Founder, Rewired Africa Network, Mr Mike Okwoche identified facts as the only way to fight fake news, noting that; “The mentoring programme became expedient because fake news is currently ravaging society coupled with hate speech, misinformation and disinformation.”
He said it has become imperative for government to evolve policies that can reduce fake news, misinformation as well as promote media literacy in the country, adding; “The Government is guiltier of hate speech, especially during political campaigns.
“You see how politicians and political leaders make vehement speeches against each other. The government should come out with a better policy against fake news and implement it in order to mitigate and minimise fake news in the country.”
Okwoche, who is also the Coordinator of the Media literacy Mentoring programme, said the training is designed to educate students on media literacy; how to detect fake news; reduce or abruptly stop the spread of misinformation and hate speeches; and how to be great ambassadors amongst their peers and in their various communities.
He said the programme was implemented with a team of volunteers who worked with the academic community comprising 60 students, five (5) teachers and the District Ministry of Education, adding; “We decided to get into secondary schools to catch them young as most students at this level do not own a smartphone yet but to prepare them on how to verify facts and use the social media when they will own a smartphone and begin to engage with the society.”
On her part, Deputy Programme Coordinator, Media Literacy Project, Tinuola Aina said the students have been enlightened on the dangers of fake news, misinformation and disinformation and how to do background checks on information received on social media and disseminated across the media platforms.
“Basically they have become media literacy ambassadors and they are expected spread the message to their peers, family members and friends, everyone has a responsibility to be civil while on the social media and public spaces”, she said
