Journalists in the Country have been called upon to be up and doing in ensuring that their reportage does not fuel Conflict, rather they have been Urged to make their reporting prevent violent extremisim.
Anicetus Atakpu, Project Coordinator, SARVE ll Project, ActionAid Nigeria, gave the advice while presenting a paper titled: The Crux: Revisiting Conflict Resolution and Preventing Violent Extremism, said while Conflict remains unavoidable, he advised media Practitioners and Journalists to learn to manage issues so that it does not lead to violence.
Mr. Anicetus lamented the challenges the advent of Technology and the Social Media has caused to information sharing, but called on Mainstream Journalists to take up the challenge, by stepping into the gap, towards ensuring that through balanced reportage issues of violence are made avoidable or reduced to the bearest minimum.
Anicetus Atakpu’s paper was presented at a Media Masterclass: Policy Engagement for Preventing Violent Extremism During and Post Covid19 in Kogi and Nasarawa State organized for Media Practitioners and Journalists holding at Akwanga, Nasarawa State with funding by Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).
While pointing out that Journalists have the capacity to make or Mar issues that can lead to Conflict, Mr. Anicetus cautioned against selling a single story without verification and balancing.
He called on mainstream Journalists and media Practitioners to make balancing, objectivity and putting unity and humanity in their reportage a priority, described causes of Conflicts mostly in the society as mostly resources, values, beliefs, structural and psychological based.
While he warned Journalists about having wrong and personal perception to reportage, asked Journalists to be mindful of intra group, inter personal, Inter group, National and International Conflicts in their reportage, insisting on accurate and adequate balancing.