Produce contents to stop terrorism, prevent banditry, NSA tasks journalists

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam. Nuhu Ribadu has urged journalists to always in their reportage produce media content that would counter or prevent the appeals of terrorism and other non-state armed groups.
Ribadu who made this known Tuesday while delivering his keynote address at the opening ceremony of a 2-day training workshop on “Effective Reporting Towards Strengthening Alternatives to Terrorist Ideology” organized by National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of National Security Adviser in collaboration with National Peace Academy, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) held in Abuja stated that terrorist groups have continued to provide dysfunctional information through social media platforms, networking sites, and online propaganda.
Continuing, Ribadu who was represented by the National Coordinator of National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj-Gen. Adamu Laka informed that it had extended to mainstream and traditional mediums of communication in such manner appealing for easy recruitment of many especially among the youths.
Ribadu stated it was a situation that we must jointly combat to attain a safe and peaceful society that will guarantee sustainable socioeconomic development.
His words, “Terrorist groups have continued to provide dysfunctional information through social media platforms, networking sites, and online propaganda including mainstream and traditional mediums of communication in such manner appealing for easy recruitment of many especially among the youths; this is a situation that we must jointly combat to attain a safe and peaceful society that will guarantee sustainable socioeconomic development.
“To achieve this, the media practitioners must produce contents that would counter or prevent the appeals of terrorism and other non-state armed groups. Indeed, there is the need for robust media campaigns against terrorism, violent extremism and all other forms of organized crime that is are threatening our corporate existence as a country” he said.
Also speaking, Minister of Information & National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris urged newsmen to work closely with security experts, sociologists, psychologists, and community leaders to provide a multi-faceted perspective on terrorism and its alternatives.
Idris also called on journalists to use data and research to back their stories to enhance credibility and depth.
He stressed the need for media practitioners to uphold the ethics of the profession at all times by being objective and fair and guard against sensationalism.