By Aondover Eric Msughter
There is no doubt that the media have the capacity and moral obligation to create awareness and educate citizen about the counter and prevent act of terrorism by making them approachable enough so that every citizen can approach them with their suggestions about how to create a terrorism-free world. In reporting Boko Haram, the media should give adequate information about activities of Boko Haram. Such reports should be accurate and objective, free from sensationalism or religious bias. It is not enough to report on the surface like reporting that there was bomb blast claiming some innocent lives.
In the usual straight news reporting, it is the usual he said, she said, eye-witnesses said; a usually-reliable-source confirmed, etc. none of the reports went further to give more than quotes from those in authority, the victims and sometimes from security operatives. What the audience gets from the mostly straight news stories are largely second-hand reports that hardly give insights into the real issues at stake. A peace journalist should not be neutral in his reportage when the masses are ruthlessly butchered by Boko Haram bombs and bullets. The reporters should consider it a patriotic duty to report the killings both objectively and subjectively, provided it is the truth.
Peace journalist should find out what has emboldened Boko haram to escalate its attacks instead of retreating going by Buhari’s military credentials. Furthermore they should present their findings to the public to enable them make informed decisions as to handle the activities of Boko Haram.
It is apparent also for northern leaders to urgently call an emergency meeting to harness and dispassionately X-ray the problem of Boko Haram which is fast turning the North to nothing in terms of infrastructure, investment and development in general. The destruction that is taking place now has the tendency of setting the region almost 40 years back in all sectors. Whatever the governors are doing in terms of development without checking the menace of Boko Haram will amount to nothing.
Honestly, Nigerians would not forget when some people threatened that, should Jonathan contest and win 2011 elections; they would make the country ungovernable for him. Everything he did was criticised. If one Boko Haram member was killed, they would accuse Jonathan of wanting to wipe out the north. Ironically, the same people who always criticised Jonathan but never proffered any solution on how the issue of terrorism could be tackled are now asking Nigerians to support Buhari against Boko Haram. These facts should be highlighted by the peace reporters to the masses to enable them contribute meaningfully to the fight against Boko Haram.
To this end, our leaders and the stakeholders particularly in the affected region are not sincere to themselves in the fight against Boko Haram. The issue is that members of the sect have their roots and it is only leaders in those areas that can identify their root and realistically use different strategies to curb the menace. Please, journalists should wake up, the use of security agents and military alone cannot stop the activities of the sect.
- Msughter wrote in from the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.
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