The role of media in Troubling Times

By Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim   Nigeria is burning. We have to stop it. We can’t afford to lose our dear nation. But who can be of help? The media has a critical role to play and through which there is a great hope of achieving the fire extinction before it goes out of hand. Information […]

By Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim

 

Nigeria is burning. We have to stop it. We can’t afford to lose our dear nation. But who can be of help? The media has a critical role to play and through which there is a great hope of achieving the fire extinction before it goes out of hand.

Information is power, and the media is a powerful tool used in sending persuasive messages. The more the messages continue to flow in our societies, the higher their ability to shape public discourse. Media is a powerful tool that is used in shaping public opinion and thereby changing the way people behave, think and/or even live sometimes. It is often used by the power elite to achieve their aims. In the present-day Nigeria, where things are still falling apart, are the media organisations playing a positive or negative role? 

The media has the role of information dissemination that is accurate, factual and unbiased to a large and scattered audience.  This includes information on our security. The media should accurately inform the people about future threats, chaos and fear of terror attacks and how to avert them, should they occur.

Also, the media plays a critical role in every society by holding leaders accountable, more especially in times of crisis.

However, it should be noted that it is not lawful in any way for the media to undermine national security in the process of discharging such responsibilities. 

 Furthermore, it is no gainsaying that the media has the duty of building a nation and not destroying the existing pillars of the nation. The media, in other words, can be said to be fire extinguishers and not fuelling the fire. It is only through this process that the media can promote national security and harmony. 

It is evident in Nigeria today, that some media houses have deviated from their role to being used to spread hate speech and fake news which may in turn result in violence or more troubles than the one Nigeria currently battles. Supporting violence, sensationalism, and hatred will do nothing but add to the already burning fire in this country. 

Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim can be reached via [email protected]