“Fakery in Contemporary Journalistic Ecosystem Portends Danger of Incalculable Magnitude” – Unilorin Don
By: Quadri Yahya
An Associate Professor of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, Dr. Mustapha Kayode Lambe has said fake news has potential to affect “citizenry’s cognitive, affective and behavioural dispositions…”
Dr. Lambe said this on Thursday in a keynote address delivered at a Capacity Development Training and Digital Rights Conference organised by FactCheckAfrica, an initiative of the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI).
The conference, organised in partnership with the Mass Communication department, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, conveyed media scholars to discuss the theme, “Shaping the future of truthful reporting”.
In his researched presentation, titled, “Technology, New Media Ecology and Altruistic Journalism”, the lecturer noted that the spread of fake news can wreck havoc beyond the intent with which it is virally shared.
“The resurgence of fakery in contemporary journalistic ecosystem portends danger of incalculable magnitude”, he noted.
“From the prism of demonstrable power of words, for good and for ill, media reportage in the age of information disorder creates dilemma for citizenry’s cognitive, affective and behavioural dispositions towards myriads of issues engaging their attentions.”
He further noted that professionalism in journalistic practices will serve as the beckon of hope for news consumers and guardrail information dissemination.
“A society is at lost if the means of ascertaining fact about reality is impeded by multitude of voices lacking in professional consciousness of consensus building abdicated to journalism since antiquity”, Dr. Lambe premised.
He further added: “The belief that professional responsibility and ethical considerations in media reportage bolster reliance on journalism offers better information avenue than contemporary laissez-faire information environment that circumvent gatekeeping process resulting into circulation of fake content that is microscopically and macroscopically injurious.”
The communication scholar, however, recommended that media practitioners should understand that “the future of truthful reporting thus lies on a synthesis of various strategies and mechanisms to return journalism to its enviable position.”
While noting that the “technologies of communication and information dissemination act as equivocator”, Dr. Lambe stressed the need for “a blend of knowledge, ethics and socially-responsible dispositions towards their usage could birth a new and glorious dawn.”
“With regards to the threat of information pollution, Christopher Doornan (2017) suggested algorithmic control that assists in muting fake news from receiving mainstream attention; robust fact-checking in order to expose falsehood and exaggeration; and “calls for a campaign of public education to teach audiences how to be discerning in their information consumption habits and to equip them with the critical tools to detect and dismiss falsehood masquerading as journalism” (p. 11),” he concluded.
Furthermore, the Unilorin don commended the organizer, FactCheckAfrica/BBYDI, for the initiative.
“This priceless opportunity offered by the Brain Builder Youth Development Initiative is the needed elixir towards helping journalism to help the society. Doing anything to the contrary is smacks of failing to reform, which would eventually deform the practice of journalism.”
It is noteworthy to state that the conference is one of the series of efforts by FactCheckAfrica to promote a healthy information ecosystem in Africa.
