Failure Of Journalists To Fact Check Stories Reducing Media Credibility — Ex-FRCN Zonal Director

Former South East Zonal Director of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and lead trainer in US Consulate project on fact checking, Ken Ike Okere has said failure of journalists to conduct fact-checking on their stories before sharing with the consumers has reduced the credibility of the media.

Speaking with ABN TV on Friday shortly after a two-day training for journalists in Abia on fact-checking, Mr. Okere said that subjecting contents to test of facts is the only thing that differentiates the journalist from a fiction writer.

“Fact-checking is the process of knowing, learning and practising the art and science of authentication or validating, checking to make sure that something is accurate before sharing with others“, he said.

He added, “The credibility of the media has been dwindling over time, the regard with which people hold it is reducing. And this is based on research.

“When research is conducted, people are asked whether they believe what they see in the media, the number of people who believe that the media tells the truth is reducing.

“That is why we are doing this training for media practitioners in 17 states. Even the media practitioners, their profession is in danger in a world where everyone can be a citizen journalist, what we call eyewitness report” he said.

He noted that eyewitness reports are not necessarily subjected to crucibles of journalism, maintaining that fact-checking is what distinguishes a trained journalist from an eyewitness report.

At the training, participants were taught how to detect video and photos manipulation, differences between facts and opinions, what misinformation is, misinformation, disinformation as well as their practical examples.

They were also taught steps to follow in fact-checking a story, video or photo, to determine whether or not it is original, whether they have been used before, where they were used, what stories they were used for.

Trainees were also issued certificates of participation at the end of the training.