Gone are those days when our fathers held on to their favorite gadgets, the radio, and the television as time went on, they never missed the news on the hour, those were our only sources of receiving credible information besides the newspaper, and the journalist then were passionate about their job and went to great length to prove facts before dishing information out to the masses through different outlets.
With more advancements in technology, more was expected from these media houses as reaching out to the masses became even more easier than ever before, breaking news didn't have to wait for the hourly news anymore as everyone with a smartphone became a live and direct journalist/blogger but sadly filtering out credible information became more and more difficult each day and this has made so many of us lose hope on our media houses. They are now being peddled and used by the highest bidders in power to share false news to the public especially when it's of topmost concern and everyone is yearning for the truth.
The incident that broke the camel's back and made even those that we're blinded by their illicit acts to be aware of their doings was during the #EndSars protest in my country, young and vibrant Nigerian youth who thought they had the freedom of speech but we're not aware that after their speech they were not so free anymore, they boldly went out in masses to speak against the frustration and hardship the government was putting us through, but instead of positive change, they met their end, the government had ordered the military to get them killed and hide their bodies, how brutal. They were confident they could pay the media houses to release false news that nobody was shot, even when there was evidence all over the internet, people who managed to escape with their lives had videoed the live gunning down while they ran for their lives, and families came out to report the bodies of their children missing after that day, the wicked media still heartlessly choose to follow the directions from the government.
I thought journalist answered to the public, making sure they were fed with the right information after proper investigation and fact-checking, the evidence was everywhere, even at the so-called cleaned-up scene, but still, they failed the public, sweeping the right information under the rug, I guess they are also scared of the same government or were selfishly after their pockets, whatever the reason, the truth is that they lost their very essence and the public trust
What the media are more about now is profit, they would rather fabricate false news to drive traffic or seek out irrelevant celebrity news that adds no value other than demoralize the public, instead of news that brings hope to the country on how there would be a positive change or how the government seeks these changes, they bring distracting news like Big Brother Naija or Bobrisky- a Nigerian cross dresser winning the best-dressed female in an event, what we seek in the media is no longer given, my dad is no longer eager to listen to the news on the hour as he used to when I was younger as it has become increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction with so many seemingly "credible" sources sharing dubious information indistinguishable from legitimate journalism.
The social media age isn't helping either, the big social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have been brought to the attention of the public for repeatedly game rumors through their channel, much of which comes from sponsors from politicians to influence their campaigns or shady celebrities All for the show business and financial gain.
These platforms seek to go viral with their content with maximum outrage rather than truth or newsworthiness. Sadly, these are where the public now runs to for breaking information as the new generation media houses also are unreliable, at least they will get more entertainment-seeking news from social media whether it's false news or not and even add their own extra spices. So the gatekeepers to information are now unaccountable tech platforms driven purely by engagement metrics rather than journalistic standards.
What they fail to acknowledge is that these fake news causes more harm than good to the society. Just yesterday, I was surfing through my phone when a breaking news notification alert came in that there was a bomb blast at Ikeja, a town not too far from my residence, worst still, my husband had left the house since morning for the same Ikeja, this put me on a frantic mood, I quickly dialed his number and her didn't pick on time, imagine I had health issues that could spike up my blood pressure, at this state I was, won't also be at risk of my health deteriorating due to this fake news after my husband picked up at what seemed like the tenth ring, confirming it was a fake news snd zi should get rid of such news website on my phone, which I did immediately.
The Path Forward
I think this fake news matter is now of urgent concern and it is not too late for the media to go back to the good old days when they were all about credible information, going out to the field to seek facts and not just conjure stories from their head or what wealthy and influential politicians want them to spread. Quality journalism is strictly supposed to uphold standards of truth, independence, and accountability. They need to re-dedicate their civic mission and what their commitment is to the public, to render quality and authentic services over profits, by maintaining their ethics, also curb online misinformation, then will the public regain their trust and only seek justifiable news from the true source the reliable media houses, not social media.
On the public's side, media literacy should be inculcated in schools and communities should be orientated about how to critically distinguish credible information from false news, also question their sources, before clicking on the share button. Building more public consciousness around how journalism functions and how narratives can be manipulated can empower people to become more discerning consumers of news and information.
***This post is inspired by the #Aprilinleo Monthly topics, which you can also be a part of, check out the announcement post for more info