As part of its webinar series aimed at ensuring peaceful and non-violent elections in Nigeria, CAPPA organized a webinar titled “Safeguarding Democracy: The Media and the Role of Fact-Checking in Peaceful Elections,’’ on April 17, 2024. Implemented under the European Union’s Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), the webinar attracted over 60 attendees, including media practitioners who gained insights on approaches to reporting sensitive news during elections.
While giving his opening remarks at the meeting, Akinbode Oluwafemi, the Executive Director of CAPPA, emphasized the crucial role of the media in shaping narratives during elections and in raising public awareness to encourage peaceful engagement, despite the typically intense dynamics of elections.
Blessing Oladunjoye, media expert and news publisher, facilitated the first presentation at the webinar, which dwelt on Misinformation Challenges During Elections. The conversation explored the complex relationship between the media’s role in both addressing and contributing to misinformation challenges during elections. It also highlighted specific instances of the media’s involvement in spreading and countering misinformation during Nigeria’s last General Elections in 2023.
In trying to counter misinformation during elections, media practitioners often face several challenges. These include the lack of data for fact-checking, the rapid dissemination of information on digital platforms, and technological sophistication, such as deepfakes and artificial intelligence, which can make it difficult to distinguish between real and fabricated content. To overcome these challenges, media practitioners were advised to enhance their critical thinking, literacy, and analytical skills by investing in fact-checking training, technological tools for identifying fake news, and collaborations with other investigative news actors.
A second discussion, led by Adesola Ikulajolu, an investigative reporter and fact-checking manager, focused on the importance of fact-checking during elections. Adesola emphasized that elections are pivotal moments in any democratic society, and the dissemination of accurate information is always crucial for informed decision-making by voters. However, he noted that amidst the fervour of political campaigns, misinformation and false claims can proliferate rapidly, clouding voters’ judgment and undermining the democratic process. This is where fact-checking comes in.
By rigorously examining claims made by political actors, members of the public, political parties, and media outlets, fact-checkers can play a crucial role in holding stakeholders accountable and maintaining the integrity of electoral discourse. Fact-checking for journalists requires a commitment to verify information from multiple sources despite individual biases. Furthermore, by analysing the language of the news, checking the author, limiting personal biases from influencing judgment, evaluating the credibility of sources, and cross-referencing information, media practitioners can protect themselves against the deceptive allure of fake news. The presentation ended by encouraging journalists to always uphold the truth and maintain professional ethics, adding that to curb bias, news investigations must be rooted in facts and figures.
Mariya Shuaibu Suleiman, a multimedia journalist from Borno State, also addressed the realities of the 2023 General Elections. She noted that there was a significant amount of fake news and misinformation circulated, which sadly has become almost the norm in the state. Mariya reflected that fact-checking information is a responsibility not only of journalists but also of news consumers, who both play crucial roles in verifying information.
The highly engaging webinar included questions from participants who sought advice on overcoming their biases and strategies to use when government officials delay the fact-checking process or withhold information. At the conclusion of the meeting, participants expressed their gratitude to the facilitators for their insightful presentations and committed to improving their fact-checking skills.
