The Centre for Information Technology and Development as part of its contribution to stop the spread of Covid19 in the country use to organize Twitter charts on every Tuesday and Thursday to enlighten the general public about Covid-19 pandemic; safety measures, government and citizens’ efforts, giving recommendations to government and ensure citizens needs are being cater for during the lockdown. These charts are being held with different professionals from various fields in order to sensitize public about the novel coronavirus.
This week the Centre hosted Mr. Kabiru Danladi Lawanti, a communication specialist who has years of experience in teaching communication in the Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU) as Discussant. On today’s chat Mr. Danladi discussed on “Gaps in Media Campaigns against Covid19”. The discussant spoke on the gaps, misinformation, fake news, media bias and complicity in misleading the public and feeding them with many unwanted information regarding the virus. The discussant also emphasized on News reporting ethics, standards and acceptable information and the need for sourcing news from responsible and credible sources locally who truly understand the pandemic and the situation generally; not from foreign sources who are also trying to understand the pandemic and situation in their countries.
While discussing the topic, the guest displayed sadness on how media covered the issue of 5G in regarding the covid19 and the conspiracy theories going round that black people are immune to the virus. He went further to state that journalists are at first level of knowledge gap theory, because people need to know what they ought to know from media and if media failed in this regard misconception bound. Mr. Kabiru emphasized that the campaigns against covid19 needs to be local, with local contents that reflect people’s culture and history which the media failed in guiding the policy makers regarding this and turned to echoing NCDC figures only. However, the guest advised that “when approaching a pandemic, the media should show high level of understanding by contacting people of knowledge about it – Doctors, epidemiologists and virologist etc. Information from these people will help the media enlighten the people with the right infoâ€
Observation:
The discussion was educative as the guest shared important areas of Communication, such as guidelines, procedures, ethics in journalisms & getting information from trusted and credible sources about the pandemic only.
Recommendations:
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CITAD should continue organizing programs like this so that public would be informed and enlightened about issues that matter to them.
At the end the guest took his time to answer questions from the participants and gave recommendation.
ENGAGEMENT:
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Kabiru Danladi Lawanti (@kblawanty) teaches Mass Communications in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. As our discussant today, he will be talking on “Gaps in the Medai Campaign Against #Covid_19 in #Nigeria“. We are glad he created a window out of his tight schedules to speak to us
Replying to
@ICTAdvocates @YZYau and 7 others
Good day. Thank you for having me
Replying to @kblawanty @ICTAdvocates and 8 others
You are welcome, Sir. Sagiru Ado Abubakar @sagiru_ado:
since the erupt of the pandemic media outlets embark on sensitizing people on how to protect themselves against the virus. Still the virus spread like wildfire in the country. Doctor, what is the problem?
@a_sabo12 @hamzaish @HariraWakili
CITAD @ICTAdvocates: @kblawanty, since the outbreak of #Covid_19 in #Nigeria we have seen lots of media campaign. The question we are asking is this, is the media channeling the right energy towards right direction?
@YZYau @a_sabo12 @sagiru_ado @kamalkano
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@ICTAdvocates @YZYau and 3 others
Let me begin by saying, when #Covid_19 began around Nov or December in China, media in Nigeria reacted the way others around the world did. We never imagined the virus will reach here. So the reaction was of people immuned
CITAD @ICTAdvocates @kblawanty, by the way, what is your general assessment of the media enlightenment on the #Coronavirus pandemic? #CITADChat
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When it started there was little concern in the Nigerian media environment on knowing about it. The media as an institution of enlightenment ought to have made extra effort in understanding the virus and educate people
There are misconceptions about #Covid_19 in Nigeria,is the media doing enough to correct those misconceptions @kblawanty?
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Unfortunately, no. Most of the campaigns are not local. In a campaign like this, we need a local content that reflects people’s culture and history. The media failed in guiding policy makers on this. Media job goes beyond re-echoing NCDC figures
Can media share the names nd locations of the person with COVID 19 tested positive to assist the Committee in transparency
This is an ethical issue. With family consent, yes. I thought NCDC would have come up with a guide within these months that we are fighting #Covid_19 on how to report the patients. Remember it is already creating suspicion with people doubting the NCDC figures
@kblawanty, is there any guideline that the media uses during for enlightenment during pandemic to get people well enlightened, if there is, is Nigeria media really utilizing such guideline for effective enlightenment?
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and 4 others When approaching a pandemic, the media should show high level of understanding by contacting people of knowledge about it – Doctors, epidemiologists and virologist etc. Information from these people will help the media enlighten the people with the right info
CITAD
@ICTAdvocates: @kblawanty, is there any guideline that the media uses during for enlightenment during pandemic to get people well enlightened, if there is, is Nigeria media really utilizing such guideline for effective enlightenment?
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Unfortunately, most of the information sourced came from other media in Europe and America, who were also trying to understand the virus. Worst is picking information from the Internet
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It is. The media and more specifically journalists are in the first level of the knowledge gap theory. People need to know what they have to know from the media. If the media failed in this regard then misconceptions bound
From your analysis as a media scholar, what is the good and bad side of the media campaign against #Covid_19 in #Nigeria @kblawanty?
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1/2The media has giving it enough coverage it deserved. But is it the right info? Yes and no. The media handed the 5G saga well but race and environmental issues raised were wrongly approached. Blacks are immuned, that tropical regions are Covid -19 resistant, to me
Were not handled well by the media. These are all conjectures and the media was found wanting in making them go
How? Do you mind explaining further?
Like I said, many believe that the people in tropical regions and blacks are resistant to #Covid_19
There are misconceptions about #Covid_19 in Nigeria,is the media doing enough to correct those misconceptions @kblawanty?
Replying to
Unfortunately, no. Most of the campaigns are not local. In a campaign like this, we need a local content that reflects people’s culture and history. The media failed in guiding policy makers on this. Media job goes beyond re-echoing NCDC figures
Replying to
Can media share the names and locations of the person with COVID 19 tested positive to assist the Committee in transparency
This is an ethical issue. With family consent, yes. I thought NCDC would have come up with a guide within these months that we are fighting #Covid_19 on how to report the patients. Remember it is already creating suspicion with people doubting the NCDC figures
Will this contribute misinforming people or people not even believing in the pandemic?
Un Attended
From your analysis as a media scholar, what is the good and bad side of the media campaign against #Covid_19 in #Nigeria
?
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1/2The media has giving it enough coverage it deserved. But is it the right info? Yes and no. The media handed the 5G saga well but race and environmental issues raised were wrongly approached. Blacks are immuned, that tropical regions are Covid -19 resistant, to me
Were not handled well by the media. These are all conjectures and the media was found wanting in making them go
How? Do you mind explaining further?
Like I said, many believe that the people in tropical regions and blacks are resistant to #Covid_19
CITAD
@ICTAdvocates: @kblawanty, is there any guideline that the media uses during for enlightenment during pandemic to get people well enlightened, if there is, is Nigeria media really utilizing such guideline for effective enlightenment?
Unfortunately, most of the information sourced came from other media in Europe and America, who were also trying to understand the virus. Worst is picking information from the Internet
Is this a problem to the Nigerian media?
Replying to
It is. The media, and more specifically journalists are in the first level of the knowledge gap theory. People need to know what they have to know from the media. If the media failed in this regard then misconceptions bound
From your analysis as a media scholar, what is the good and bad side of the media campaign against #Covid_19 in #Nigeria @kblawanty?
1/2The media has giving it enough coverage it deserved. But is it the right info? Yes and no. The media handed the 5G saga well but race and environmental issues raised were wrongly approached. Blacks are immuned, that tropical regions are Covid -19 resistant, to me
Replying to
Were not handled well by the media. These are all conjectures and the media was found wanting in making them go
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and 4 others How? Do you mind explaining further? Kabiru Lawanti
Like I said, many believe that the people in tropical regions and blacks are resistant to #Covid_19
Assalam, sir @kblawanty Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp have become effective channels through which misinformation goes viral within a short period of time. Pls, what measures those responsible supposed to or applies to address misinformation.
Un Attended.
Replying to
Can media share the names and locations of the person with COVID 19 tested positive to assist the Committee in transparency
Replying to
This is an ethical issue. With family consent, yes. I thought NCDC would have come up with a guide within these months that we are fighting #Covid_19 on how to report the patients. Remember it is already creating suspicion with people doubting the NCDC figures
@kblawanty, the media tend to give the narrative that people are doing lockdown for government, and not for themselves and their communities. Why do you think the media does not see lockdown as being owned by communities to protect themselves?
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That’s the historical and cultural issues we failed to bring to fore when approaching the #Covid_19 fight. No historical evidence shows quarantine of healthy people. Culturally we don’t fit into #Social_Distancing
More so, our economic situation doesn’t support lockdown, journalists are in the category of the other half. It is difficult to support a policy seen to favour elites. It is bitter, but the truth
How? Do you mind explaining further?
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Like I said, many believe that the people in tropical regions and blacks are resistant to #Covid_19
Doctors, epidemiologists and virologist etc you have mentioned, lack communication strategies required as such time, is this not a time to make communication courses as core subjects to medical schools?
Un Attended
It is apparent there is gap in the way the media is handling the enlightenment against #COVID__19 in #Nigeria, 1 of those gaps as stated by our guest, @kblawanty, is the lack of using local content. What are therefore your recommendations in bridging the gaps
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and
If you observe, the washing of hands on a running tap, as simplistic as it may sound, looks alien in most Nigeria’s cities
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and @YZYau
Therefore, media is just a conveyor. There has to be an approach that not only involves doctors alone, but sociologists and public service workers who understand our people and their culture. Media should not be seen as only needed when dishing out figures of #Covid_19 patients
Media is important, with the level of #FakeNews especially on this #Covid_19, in the fight against Covid – 19 and a critical stakeholder
From your analysis as a media scholar, what is the good and bad side of the media campaign against #Covid_19 in #Nigeria @kblawanty?
Replying to
1/2The media has giving it enough coverage it deserved. But is it the right info? Yes and no. The media handed the 5G saga well but race and environmental issues raised were wrongly approached. Blacks are immuned, that tropical regions are Covid -19 resistant, to me
Replying to
Were not handled well by the media. These are all conjectures and the media was found wanting in making them go
How? Do you mind explaining further?
Like I said, many believe that the people in tropical regions and blacks are resistant to #Covid_19
Doctors, epidemiologists and virologist etc you have mentioned, lack communication strategies required as such time, is this not a time to make communication courses as core subjects to medical schools?
Un Attended
It is apparent there is gap in the way the media is handling the enlightenment against #COVID__19 in #Nigeria, 1 of those gaps as stated by our guest,
@kblawanty, is the lack of using local content. What are therefore your recommendations in bridging the gaps
Replying to
and
If you observe, the washing of hands on a running tap, as simplistic as it may sound, looks alien in most Nigeria’s cities
Replying to
and
Therefore, media is just a conveyor. There has to be an approach that not only involves doctors alone, but sociologists and public service workers who understand our people and their culture. Media should not be seen as only needed when dishing out figures of #Covid_19 patients
Media is important, with the level of #FakeNews especially on this #Covid_19, in the fight against Covid – 19 and a critical stakeholder
The media tend to give the narrative that people are doing lockdown for government, and not for themselves and their communities. Why do you think the media does not see lockdown as being owned by communities to protect themselves?
Replying to
That’s the historical and cultural issues we failed to bring to fore when approaching the #Covid_19 fight. No historical evidence shows quarantine of healthy people. Culturally we don’t fit into #Social_Distancing Kabiru Lawanti
Replying to
More so, our economic situation doesn’t support lockdown, journalists are in the category of the other half. It is difficult to support a policy seen to favour elites. It is bitter, but the truth
That’s the historical and cultural issues we failed to bring to fore when approaching the #Covid_19 fight. No historical evidence shows quarantine of healthy people. Culturally we don’t fit into #Social_Distancing
Replying to
More so, our economic situation doesn’t support lockdown, journalists are in the category of the other half. It is difficult to support a policy seen to favour elites. It is bitter, but the truth
It is apparent there is gap in the way the media is handling the enlightenment against #COVID__19 in #Nigeria, 1 of those gaps as stated by our guest, @kblawanty, is the lack of using local content. What are therefore your recommendations in bridging the gaps
Replying to
and
If you observe, the washing of hands on a running tap, as simplistic as it may sound, looks alien in most Nigeria’s cities
Replying to
and
Therefore, media is just a conveyor. There has to be an approach that not only involves doctors alone, but sociologists and public service workers who understand our people and their culture. Media should not be seen as only needed when dishing out figures of #Covid_19 patients
Replying to
and
Media is important, with the level of #FakeNews especially on this #Covid_19, in the fight against Covid – 19 and a critical stakeholder
CITAD
@ICTAdvocates: @kblawanty, can we have your quick recommendations to the media on how to best to enlighten people at this time of pandemic?
Replying to
They need to approach it as a whole and do away with the politics involved
Therefore, media is just a conveyor. There has to be an approach that not only involves doctors alone, but sociologists and public service workers who understand our people and their culture. Media should not be seen as only needed when dishing out figures of #Covid_19 patients
Replying to
and
Media is important, with the level of #FakeNews especially on this #Covid_19, in the fight against Covid – 19 and a critical stakeholder
It has really an interesting discussion with media scholar and lecturer,
@kblawanty, thank you very much for the resourceful discussion. We are also grateful to everyone for joining us.
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