Cross River Commissioner Cautions Against Reports Instigating Conflict, Fake News

The Cross River State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang has appealed to media practitioners in the country to be cautious of disseminating fake and sensational news reports that can instigate violence and undermine democracy.

Ekpang also charged journalists to embrace scientific communication, and avoid unverified reports that can stir conflict that undermine democratic governance, damage personal and institutional reputations and erode public trust.

The commissioner gave the charge at the maiden International Conference on Media and Communication Studies organised by the Mass Communication Department of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) in Calabar, on Wednesday.

Speaking on the theme: ‘Science of Communication and the Communication of Science,’ Ekpang highlighted the dangers of proliferation of fake news, driven largely by the weaponisation of misinformation, blackmail and sensationalism.

The commissioner identified effective science communication as fostering informed decision-making, promoting scientific literacy, and inspiring future scientific investigations and research to increase knowledge.

“In Cross River State and across Nigeria, we have seen how unverified reports that spark up conflict, undermine democratic governance, damage personal and institutional reputations and erode public trust in both science and society.

“The danger is not only the spread of falsehoods, but the silence of those who know the truth and refuse to speak it,”Ekpang maintained.

He charged the participants to put the knowledge acquired during the conference into practice by spreading science communication and prioritising science reports.

“I urge you all to uphold the science of communication not merely as a field of study, but as a moral duty. Speak only the truth that is wrapped in facts, evidence, and integrity.

“Avoid the seductive pull of clickbait headlines, unverified gossip, or slanderous posts. Let your voice be the voice of justice, and your pen a tool for societal healing, not destruction”, he said.

The Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the conference, Dr Emmanuel Inyang said the event provided the opportunity for scholars to chart a fresh direction in communication and charged participants and media experts to take advantage of the opportunity to explore science communication.

“We are here to see how technology has affected communication and our way of communication, and how we can take advantage of technology to advance communication”, Inyang stressed.