Nigerian media practitioners have been strongly advised to improve their fact-checking and verification protocols as fake news, artificial intelligence-driven manipulation, and ethnic profiling increasingly undermine public confidence in journalism.
The call was made at a seminar organised by the Premium Times Academy in collaboration with conflict scholars, where journalists, media professionals and academics examined the changing challenges confronting journalism in the digital age.
Participants stressed the need for journalists to move beyond their traditional role as information gatekeepers and become what they described as “gate-checkers” who verify information before publication.
A major concern at the seminar was the use of ethnic identities in news reports, particularly when such details have no direct relevance to the story.
Presenters from the International Centre for Investigative Reporting cited headlines such as “Fulani man arrested for kidnapping” and “Man arrested for kidnapping” to demonstrate how editorial choices can influence public perception.
They argued that unnecessary emphasis on ethnicity could reinforce stereotypes and fuel division.
The presenters urged journalists to ask whether a person’s ethnic identity is relevant to a report before including it.
They also warned against language that could create the impression of collective blame.
Another major focus was the increasing use of social media as a source of breaking news.
Media trainer Oluwaseyi Ayeni warned journalists that content published on social media remains subject to copyright, privacy and defamation laws.
“A public post does not automatically become public property,” Ayeni said, stressing that journalists must still obtain the necessary permissions and verify information before using it.
He also cautioned journalists against treating screenshots as evidence of authenticity.
“Screenshots alone should not be treated as verified evidence,” he said, urging reporters to establish the original source of any content before publication.
Participants were introduced to the ACCEPT test, a verification framework designed to help journalists authenticate sources, establish context, obtain consent and ensure that information is supported by evidence.
The seminar also examined the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence.
Fact-checking expert Silas Jonathan said AI had made it easier to produce fake images, cloned voices and manipulated videos that could appear authentic.
He warned journalists against depending solely on AI detection tools to determine whether content was genuine.
“The most effective approach remains independent verification and establishing the original source of content,” Jonathan said.
He urged journalists to combine technology with traditional verification methods, particularly when dealing with viral photographs, videos and audio recordings.
Participants were encouraged to use tools such as Google Reverse Image Search, Google Lens, InVID and FotoForensics to investigate and authenticate digital content.
The seminar emphasised that the pressure to publish quickly should not come at the expense of accuracy.
With social media accelerating the spread of misinformation and AI making fabricated content increasingly difficult to identify, participants agreed that journalists must place verification at the centre of their reporting.
The message was clear: credibility remains journalism’s most valuable asset, and verification must come before speed.
What You Should Know
A recent seminar organized by the Premium Times Academy has highlighted the urgent need for journalists to evolve into active gate-checkers rather than passive information gatekeepers. Experts warned against the careless use of ethnic identities in headlines, the reliance on unverified social media content or screenshots, and the challenges introduced by AI-generated deepfakes.
- Positive Impact: Enhanced verification safeguards public trust, reduces the spread of dangerous stereotypes, and ensures audiences receive accurate, reliable information.
- Potential Concerns: The pressure to publish breaking news quickly can lead to oversight, while advanced AI tools make manipulated content increasingly difficult to detect without rigorous cross-checking.
