Don’t let your emotions trigger you to spread fake news – Student-journalists urged
*As ASCOM celebrates 2021 ESEP Media week
By Aramide Adefemi and Moyinoluwa Olurotimi
Nigerian students in Benin Republic have been admonished not to allow their emotions to push them to spreading fake news.
The admonition was made by Mr.Charles Adewale, a lecturer of Mass Communication, while lending his voice during the Seminar organized by the Association of Student Communicators, ASCOM, Esep le Berger University, Cotonou, Benin Republic tagged “The new Media and the dangers of fake, unverified news” at M3/M4 hall of the institution.
Charles Adewale stressed that Students should not share news they are not sure of the sources, they should check traditional media for confirmation before sharing any information and not just share based on their emotions.
“If you see a bad news about someone you hate or someone you have grudges with, don’t rush to share the news because you’re happy about such person’s downfall or misfortune, check if the information is coming from a reliable source and not just anyhow blog,” Adewale warned.
According to him, it is better not to share news that one has not verified to be true, because if the news turns out to be fake and unverified, it’ll be hard to reach all the population that has viewed, read or seen the news. ” Do not share at all,” he emphasised.
Another speaker, Miss Rukayat Mudashiru, an Ex Mass Communication Student of the University, illustrated what spreading of fake news does to the news subject even after the news has been confirmed to be fake by squeezing a clean plain sheet of paper and straighten it back, the paper does not take the formal clean and neat shape it has before. “This is what spreading of fake news does to people who are subject of the news,” Rukayat said.
She further advised the cub journalists and other students present at the occasion not to be quick to judge the subject of fake news without hearing their own side of the story. Though the new Media allow people sit in their home and send comment on any news, this should not be abused.
Rukayat gave some of the dangers of spreading fake unverified news which include, damaging of reputation, unintended war, death, disunity among others.
In a related development, the two ex-students of the department, Miss Rukayat Mudashiru and Miss Olaoluwa Adegbite(Nee Shorungbe) facilitated the Empowerment section of the event.
The duo emphasized on the essence of financial education, stating clearly that schooling is very important but not enough. There is the need to get your meal ticket even while still in School. The participants were encouraged to reprogramme their mindset for the 21st century business.
The grand finale of the celebration was the Media Dinner/Award/Raffle Draw.
The event centre filled up to its capacity as lecturers, students, friends, indigenes joined to celebrate the campus Journalists fondly called Media Captains on Campus.
Awards were given to outstanding students of the department as well as notable Lecturers for their excellent contribution to the association.
Meanwhile, random tickets were picked to choose winners of the raffle draw. Chetachi Nwabueze (Year 3 Mass Comm student) smiled home with the star prize, a Refrigerator.