When NCTC trained journalists on effective Counterterrorism reporting

The fact remains that the media plays a great role in promoting peace and stability and as well containing activities of conflict entrepreneurs. Additionally, the media has a major role to play in moderating their reportage on terrorist activities and/or acts by ensuring balanced, unbiased and factual analysis of events as they unfold with the aim of downplaying the activities of non-state actors to ensure stability and serenity in the society.

It was based on this that National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the Security Adviser in collaboration with National Peace Academy (NPA), Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution organized a 2-Day-Training Workshop for 30 Security/Defence journalists with the theme: “Effective Reporting Towards Strengthening Alternatives to Terrorist Ideology” in Abuja. Ochiaka Ugwu was there for Peoples Daily.

There is no doubt that convergence created by technological advancement have provided an opportunity to create and disseminate information to large population at a wide speed. Non-State Actors have used this opportunity in their favour to spread their antipeople narratives through social media, the internet, magazines or publications to achieve different aims such as entice fear in the hearts of people, push narrative that creates disregard to constituted authority, disaffection amongst peoples, and present themselves as the best alternative.

Based on this, it has become evident that coordination is needed between the relevant actors in societies to offer alternative narratives to empower peoples to face terrorist projections; countering such terrorist narratives will lead to having informed citizens for better governance.

The media having the ability to reach a wide audience on vital issues of great importance stands as a key relevant actor in any given society. The media has the power to fill information vacuums with credible and coherent knowledge; vacuums that otherwise could be used by terrorist groups.

Consequently, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser in partnership with National Peace Academy (NPA) of Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution organized a 2-Day-Training Workshop for journalists with the theme: “Effective Reporting Towards Strengthening Alternatives to Terrorist Ideology” from 26 – 27 June 2024 in Abuja. The event is about building the capacity of media practitioners towards focusing on narratives that strengthens alternatives to terrorists’ ideology.

While declaring the event open, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris said the media holds an immense power to influence minds, shape narratives, and promote peace.

According to him, “In the fight against terrorism, the media can either undermine or bolster our collective efforts to provide alternatives to extremist ideologies. Through your reports, images, and commentaries, you have the unique ability to educate, inform, and inspire resilience among the public.

“Terrorism is not merely a physical threat; it is an ideological battle of the mind with the extremist groups exploiting vulnerabilities, spreading fear, and propagating messages that present them as fighting for a social cause, in order to further their depraved agenda. To counter this, we must offer compelling, positive alternatives that resonate with the same audiences targeted by terrorists. Therefore, your reporting plays a pivotal role in this endeavor.

“To achieve this, the media should continue to project successful initiatives and programmes of NCTC and ONSA that counter radicalization as well as the rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant terrorists into the community” he stated.

“I will enjoin the Defence Correspondents/Reporters to work closely with security experts, sociologists, psychologists, and community leaders to provide a multi-faceted perspective on terrorism and its alternatives.  Use data and research to back your stories, thereby enhancing credibility and depth.

“At all times, the media should uphold the ethics of journalism by being objective and fair and guard against sensationalism. You must also respect the dignity of victims and affected communities and void language that could be construed as biased or inflammatory” he said.

The National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu represented by National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj-Gen Garba Laka said the training was part of efforts in response to the call of the UN Secretary General’s Plan of Action for member states to develop and implement a national communication strategy, and to ensure the dissemination of positive content across a wide range of media both traditional and digital platforms to counter terrorist appeals and violent extremist narrative.

While strongly expressing his believe that “Information is power”, Ribadu cautioned that the kind of information we process, and the way and manner we communicate them should be matters of great concern hence information could be functional with positive expectations or dysfunctional with consequences that are negative and life threatening.

“The media as conveyor belt of information can therefore influence either positively or negatively. The press is capable of exercising power in favour of the state or in favour of the enemies of the state. Media practitioners must always be mindful of this in the discharge of their responsibilities in order to expose societal ills and suspicious characters and activities, garnering support for the government to be able to tackle challenges” he said.

He said the training workshop was to build capacity of journalists to be able to process and disseminate appropriate narratives (counter, alternative and positive) to address extremist ideologies.

“I urge you to avail yourselves of this opportunity to learn from the vast experiences of the resource persons drafted to interact with you. It is our hope to develop the capacity of a reasonable number of journalists and media practitioners in the country in order to evolve a development and peace journalism orientation in the Nigeria media space” noted.

Director General of Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu represented by Director of National Peace Academy, Dr. Bosede Awodola while affirming that the theme of the workshop “Effective Reporting Towards strengthening Alternatives to Terrorism ideology” was a crucial topic of great concern to all, said that it was based on the belief and principle that peace is an all-inclusive process that made IPCR leverage to engage with the National Counter Terrorism Centre, on strengthening alternatives to the current terrorism ideology through effective reporting.

“Nigeria’s democracy is being seriously challenged and her peace, constantly threatened by the activities of terrorist groups. The problem is increasingly pervasive with associated criminality that is heightening the fear and insecurity in the country. Realizing the importance of the soft power approach, the IPCR understands the pivotal role of the media in this instance.

“We must take into cognizance that the media and its agencies are capable of reducing and transforming these conflicts through the narratives of their reportage. As succinctly put by Ross Howard, ‘professional journalists do not set out to reduce conflict. They seek to present accurate and impartial news. But it is often through good reporting that conflict is reduced.’

“The media in Nigeria and indeed globally, remains the most credible source of news and information for the majority of people. It is therefore essential that this workshop is conducted for media personnel working in relations with the NCTC to enable an improvement in the reportage of events, especially related to terrorism ideology and violent narratives from extremist groups” he stated.

Ausitn Onuoha, a resource person who spoke on “Sensational Reporting and Terrorists Ideology” urged participants to avoid concentrating on what divides, but to focus on the connectors, avoid blame-game, victimizing language like devastated, defenseless, pathetic, tragedy.

Discussing on “Effective Reporting Towards Strengthening Alternatives To Terrorist Ideology Through Changing Perceptions and Counter Narratives”, A Newspaper Columnist, Majeed Dahiru said whereas, counter narrative was basically a presentation of facts and truths that directly contradict the dominant narrative, alternative narratives are essentially positive, pluralistic or progressive alternate sides of a dominant narrative in a manner that promotes the principles of human rights of freedom of thought.

The event ended with presentation of certificate to participants and with the resolve that the media has a responsibility to disseminate accurate and comprehensive information on terrorism-related threats, and to avoid sensationalist or baseless media reporting causing public fear and terror. Source: BBC