UNESCO, MAIN Tackles Hate Speech, Fake News Via 2 Days Media Workshop

UNESCO and MAIN are set to tackles hate speech, fake news in Nigeria.

News Rain Nigeria reports that Global body, UNESCO, Media Awareness, and Information For All Network (MAIN) have concluded a two days media workshop aimed at curbing hate speech and fake news.

The event was held on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th Of October, 2020 at GRA Lagos.

UNESCO, MAIN Tackles Hate Speech, Fake News Via  Media Workshop

The training tagged “Building Capacity Of Nigerian Social Media Producers/Bloggers In Countering Hate speech & Fake News” is organized by Media Awareness and information for all Networks (MAIN) with support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to help stop the circulation of fake news and hate speech.

During the two days meeting, the various journalists present deliberated on how the coalition can increase the momentum of its activities toward engaging Nigerians on how to spot and avoid being caught in the web of fake news.

Also, it was a very interactive session, as representatives from various media platforms talked about how misleading content spread by several social media platforms is affecting citizens’ understanding of reality and undermining trust.

News Rain Nigeria also gathered that the chairman of MAIN, Prof. Lai Oso; Dr. Seyi Soremekun, and Jide Jimoh revealed that the main purpose of the workshop is to train bloggers and social media content producers on combating fake news and hate speech.

Speaking further, they revealed the need to carry out research, and subsequently coming up with the journalists’ guidelines became imminent following the effect of fake news and hate speech on the 2019 general elections.

They added that: “Our ultimate goal is to use the understanding we got from the research to further equip media men, bloggers, journalists with the necessary skills on how to handle any of the two narratives. We believe that if more journalists and bloggers were made to realize the possible consequences of these things, they would have acted better; they would have been more critical.”

Also, the organizers revealed that while the training in the South holds in Lagos, the session for the Northern will hold in Abuja at a date to be announced later.