Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged Nigerian media organisations to stop giving excessive prominence to terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements in their reporting, warning that such coverage helps them spread fear and achieve publicity.
Idris made the appeal at a security summit organised by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), where he called for more responsible reporting of security issues in the country.
He said journalists must exercise caution in how they report security-related developments.
“Please take these terrorists and criminals off your front pages. This is what they crave for free of charge,” he said.
The minister lamented that criminal activities often dominate front pages, while the efforts and sacrifices of security agencies receive less attention.
“It saddens my mind. I feel very unhappy when I see our front pages, when I see our headlines, reporting the activities of these criminals and underplaying the ones by the security agencies,” he stated.
Idris stressed that his appeal should not be mistaken for censorship, but rather a call for responsible journalism in the interest of national unity and security.
According to him, experienced journalists understand what should not be reported in the interest of nation-building.
“Nobody is calling for censorship. Nobody is asking the media not to do its job, but we must know that we must have a country to keep,” he added.
The minister noted that Nigeria continues to face security threats ranging from terrorism and violent extremism to cybercrime, misinformation and organised crime, saying stronger cooperation between the media and security agencies is necessary.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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