Media Experts Urge Professionals To Fight Misinformation

Media professionals have emphasised the urgent need to tackle misinformation as the Media Integrity Initiative Africa (MIIA) concluded its February 2026 Free Quarterly Online Training Programme.

The two-day training, held recently, according to a press statement by Femi Akintunde-Johnson,
Coordinator of MIIA, brought together 181 registered participants, including 156 first-time attendees and 25 returning professionals.

In his remarks at the training session, Dr Tony Onyima, former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Newspapers and former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in Anambra State, stressed that continuous learning is essential in today’s fast-changing media landscape.

“In an era where information moves at the speed of light and technology reshapes our profession almost daily, standing still is no longer an option. Learning must become a habit, not an event,” he stated.

Dr Onyima noted that learning is not determined by titles or qualifications by mindset.

“The most dangerous professional in the digital age is not the one who lacks experience, but the one who refuses to learn.”

He further noted that today’s journalist must operate as more than a reporter. “You are a fact-checker, a data interpreter, a digital publisher, a community builder, and sometimes even a crisis manager,” he said.

Dr Onyima warned that misinformation can spread globally within minutes and that a single professional error can undo years of credibility, making continuous training crucial for maintaining public trust.

“The digital age rewards those who keep learning and leaves behind those who stop,” he added.

The MIIA is a professional development platform dedicated to strengthening ethical standards, innovation, and responsibility in African media practice through free quarterly online training programmes.

The facilitators and motivators of the February training included veteran journalists, editors, and media leaders such as Azubuike Ishiekwene, Senior Vice Chairman/Editor-In-Chief at LEADERSHIP Media Group, Abuja, and former Editor/Executive Director at Punch Newspaper.

Others were Richard Akinnola – veteran kournalist, Editor & currently Executive Director, Media Law Centre, Abuja; Lekan Otufodunrin – former Punch Political Editor, former Managing Editor at The Nation, Executive Director at Media Career Development Network, Lagos; Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director, International Press Centre, Lagos,
and Michael Effiong James, Special Assistant to Akwa Ibom Governor.