Fake news: GM NTA Lafia Tasks Journalists

Mr Sani Ibn-Salihu, General Manager, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Lafia, has advised journalists to develop themselves intellectually in order to check the menace of fake news.

Sani said that some journalists nowadays were intellectually lazy and do not read or research in order to be abreast of the trends and events that should guide their editorial judgement and practice.

The GM gave the advice on Friday in Lafia when the Press Week committee of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Nasarawa State Council, paid him a courtesy visit.

Mr Ibn-Salihu noted with dismay that some journalists only rely on normal news stories from events without delving into the background.

“Today, we have a big cankaworm called fake news and if real journalists are up to their responsibilities, fake news would not prevail,” the GM added.

On the press week, the GM promised that NTA Lafia would cover some of the events live.

He also assured of his full participation towards the success of the week-long programme.

Ibn-Salihu said that the Press Week was always an opportunity for journalists to socialise, unwind and relieve stress from their daily editorial schedules, adding that members of staff of NTA would not be left out.

He, therefore, directed that all news items from NUJ should be given priority in the station.

The team led by Mr Mathew Kuju, Chairman of the committee also visited the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Precious FM Lafia.

At the Precious FM, the GM, Ibrahim Abimiku, also promised that the station would cover some of the events of the press week live, as part of their contribution to the programme.

The GM, however, used the visit to appeal to the state government and other spirited individuals to assist the FM station with an electricity transformer to enable it serve the public better.

Abimiku said that lack of transformer for sufficient power supply had impeded the operation of the station making it impossible for them to broadcast 24 hours.

He said that the station currently operates on diesel-powered plant for about eight hours daily.

Speaking separately at the two stations, Chairman of the committee, Kuju, thanked the managements for the reception and encouragement so far.

The Chairman said the press week would start from Sunday, March 21 to Saturday 26, and would feature series of events including thanksgiving service in Church and Jumma’ prayer in Mosque and award ceremony for journalists and friends of the media.

Other events include: public lecture, visit to Custodian facilities as well as orphanage homes and fund raising for the completion of the ongoing chalet project at the Press Centre among others.

He, therefore, appealed to management of various media organisations in the state to allow their members of staff participate in the programme.