Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has cautioned media practitioners to address the issue of fake news and provocative information.
Osinbajo, who made the call when he hosted media practitioners to a special appreciation dinner on Thursday, September 14 in Abuja, also pledged improved engagement with them.
The vice president humorously commented on a picture of him and President Muhammadu Buhari which has become a popular social media meme.
The vice president said the advent of social media had made the issue of fake news complex, noting that “fake news or provocative information can cause chaos, civil unrest, war or even death.”
“I think all of us in the media, social media, print, TV, all of us, should begin to do something serious about fake news before it begins to consume us, ” he said.
He called on media practitioners to be curious about fact checking and do simple but thorough investigation over any contentious issue for the public to know the truth.
