2019 Elections: Nigerian journalists worry over hate speech, thuggery

Nigerian journalists cutting across print, broadcast and new media have expressed apprehension over the proliferation of small arms, thuggery, hate speech and fake news, calling for caution ahead of the forthcoming general elections. The journalists who rose from a two-day meeting in Abuja on Saturday, also declared February 14, 2019, as the National Media Peace […]

Nigerian journalists cutting across print, broadcast and new media have expressed apprehension over the proliferation of small arms, thuggery, hate speech and fake news, calling for caution ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

The journalists who rose from a two-day meeting in Abuja on Saturday, also declared February 14, 2019, as the National Media Peace Day with the theme, “Nigerian Media Peace Day: Think Election, Think Peace.”

Reading the communique at the end of the meeting, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Christopher Isiguzo said the media must play key roles to engender a violence-free poll.

He said the meeting expressed apprehension about the fate of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups taking part in the electioneering process and urged election management bodies to address the issue with seriousness it deserved.

“The Nigerian Media further enjoins all stakeholders in the electioneering process; the political parties, politicians, electorate, judiciary and election management bodies to put Nigeria first in all their actions during the build-up to the elections and beyond.

“It declares that the Nigerian media is poised to disseminating news items, features, analysis, talk shows, that would engender peace as a prerequisite to development,” he said.