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The menace of fake news and unethical journalism took centre stage on Tuesday as journalists, bloggers, media scholars, and regulators gathered at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Auditorium, Maitama, Abuja, for the maiden edition of the Strategic Deliberations on Mitigating Fake News and Unethical Journalism, organised by the Association of Bloggers and Journalists Against Fake News (ABJFN), FCT Chapter.

The high-profile event, chaired by the respected media administrator and former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Dr. Bayo Atoyebi, drew distinguished speakers including Dr. Theophilus Abbah, former Managing Editor of Daily Trust (represented by Mr. Daniel Adaji), and Alhaji Danjuma Abdullahi of Press TV International, a former managerial officer at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

In his welcome address, the FCT Coordinator of the Association, Comrade Obiora Orji, said the event was conceived to “reignite the soul of journalism” and restore public trust in the media by tackling the destructive spread of misinformation and disinformation. Describing fake news as “a cancer in the conscience of society,” he reminded participants that ethical journalism had once cost lives, recalling the 1986 assassination of veteran journalist Dele Giwa, whose death symbolised the enduring price of truth and integrity in media practice.

“Today, professional journalism faces existential threats of balance, accuracy, fairness, and objectivity,” Orji warned. “The media space has been overtaken by untrained content creators and self-styled online publishers, whose work fuels public confusion, erodes trust, and endangers social harmony.” He expressed appreciation to the National President, Comrade James Ezema, and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Dr. Victor Egharevba, for their leadership, as well as to regulatory bodies including the NBC, Nigerian Press Council (NPC), National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the NHRC for their collaboration.

Orji emphasised that the FCT chapter’s maiden edition represented “passion in action,” adding that despite financial and logistical hurdles, the association’s members were motivated by “a genuine desire to sanitise the media space and defend truth against falsehood.”

In his opening remarks, Dr. Atoyebi commended the initiative, describing it as a “bold step toward restoring sanity and professionalism in the media.” Quoting journalism scholar Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, he cautioned that “those citizens who have the privilege of having a phone and post any information, whether true or false, on social media and call themselves journalists, are not journalists.”

He warned that the reach of online broadcasting was now greater than that of conventional radio and television, thus imposing even greater ethical responsibility on bloggers. “When you put items on social media, what you are doing is broadcasting. And your coverage may go far beyond that of the traditional broadcaster in Abuja,” he said.

Dr. Atoyebi urged the association to establish partnerships with key regulatory institutions such as the Nigerian Press Council, National Broadcasting Commission, and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), noting that collaboration with these bodies would help build credibility and strengthen the association’s fight against fake news. “By the time you establish cooperation with these three institutions, your challenges will be half surmounted,” he assured.

Delivering powerful presentation on behalf of Dr. Abbah, Mr. Daniel Adaji introduced participants to the concept of “Information Disorder” and its manifestations — misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation — as categorised by researchers at First Draft, BBC, Africa Check, and UNESCO. Abbah’s presentation, titled “Information Literacy as Antidote to Fake News,” described fake news as “a deliberate distortion of truth designed to manipulate public perception and emotions.”

He warned that the world was facing an “infodemic,” a term coined by the United Nations to describe an epidemic of false and misleading information that spreads like a virus. According to Abbah, the digital age has given anyone with a smartphone the power to publish, amplifying the dangers of falsehood. “Creators of disinformation intentionally exploit human emotion and cognitive bias,” he said. “People tend to believe information that aligns with what they already think or feel.”

Citing examples ranging from fabricated videos and doctored photographs to recycled old news shared as new, Abbah outlined how information disorder undermines democratic accountability, fuels division, and damages trust. He listed various forms of misinformation — including false context, manipulated content, conspiracy theories, propaganda, and imposter content — warning that “the danger of fake news is not just that it spreads lies, but that it destroys the very idea of truth.”

Abbah concluded that information literacy and media education remain the best long-term solution to curbing fake news. “The antidote is not censorship, but education — equipping citizens to question, verify, and think critically before sharing information,” he said.

In his keynote presentation titled “Ethics of Reporting in the Digital Age: Can Journalists and Bloggers Balance Free Speech with Responsibility?”, Alhaji Danjuma Abdullahi explored how journalists can maintain ethical standards amid the unregulated flow of information in the digital era.

He described journalistic ethics as “the moral compass that guides journalists toward truth, fairness, and integrity,” stressing the importance of accuracy, objectivity, and confidentiality of sources. Quoting Joseph Pulitzer, he reminded the audience: “Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all accurately so they will be guided by its light.”

Abdullahi cautioned that while freedom of expression is guaranteed under Section 39 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, it is not absolute. “No responsible government allows unrestricted dissemination of damaging information capable of threatening national security, public order, or morality,” he said. He added that the newly enacted Cybercrimes Act of 2025 provides legal backing to combat online abuses such as cyberstalking, identity theft, and cyberterrorism, urging journalists and bloggers to “be cautious, responsible, and professional.”

He also reminded the audience that liberal democracies like the United States and the United Kingdom — often cited as models of free speech — have historically imposed limits on speech to safeguard national security and individual reputation. “The true balance lies in protecting both freedom and responsibility,” he said, adding that journalists “must not arrogate absolute power to themselves.”

The deliberations concluded with a shared resolution that the fight against fake news must go hand in hand with a renaissance of ethics, professionalism, and public enlightenment. Participants called for continued collaboration among journalists, bloggers, regulators, and citizens to defend truth and protect democracy from the dangers of false information. 

In his vote of thanks, the National President of the Association, Comrade James Ezema, expressed deep appreciation to the Chairman of the Occasion, Dr. Atoyebi; the guest presenters; and all participants for their sacrifice, engagement, and commitment to the cause of ethical journalism. Ezema described the event as a turning point for the media profession in Nigeria and hinted at the forthcoming National Stakeholders Summit on a National Bloggers’ Code of Ethics and Standards, modelled after the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and the Journalists’ Code of Ethics, as part of long-term efforts to institutionalise standards and curb the spread of false information online.

According to him, the conversation has not ended as the association is “setting in motion a process to develop a national code that will serve as both a guide and a safeguard for digital media practitioners in Nigeria. It’s time to build a framework that promotes freedom with responsibility, creativity with credibility, and information with integrity.”

As applause filled the NHRC Auditorium, participants agreed that the battle against fake news is not just a professional duty but a patriotic mission — a collective effort to preserve truth, strengthen democracy, and uphold the noble ideals of journalism in Nigeria’s digital age.

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