The sixth edition of the annual Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemicals Company (KRPC) workshop took place yesterday, in Kano. The workshop is aimed at training and enlightening journalists on the dangers of fake news to the Nigerian polity.

The Executive Director Services (EDS), KRPC, Dr Abdullahi Idris, on Friday declared open the two-day workshop with the theme “Ethics, Professionalism and Credibility in Media Practice: The Intervening Variables of Fake News and Hate Speech in Nigerian News Coverage”.

In his keynote address, the EDS called on journalists to not only avoid spreading fake news, but also fight against it as it a cankerworm the society.

“We will be counting on you not only not to indulge but spread the message that fake news is damaging and dangerous, and to educate the people in your different social network and communities to be vigilant against the threat of false information. Same goes with the evil of hate speech,” he stated.

Describing the dangers of hate speech in the polity, he explained that the consequences are real and serious.

He added that hate speeches may come in form of mob attacking innocent people or religious, ethnic bigotry, people being profiled on the basis of their political affiliation or sexual orientation.

The EDS identified another negative impact of the trend describing it as the slow deterioration of respect for facts that takes hold when people are submerged in fake news environment.

He further explained that fake news is a serious problem for democracy which requires a correctly informed citizenry.

Dr. Idris also identified the roles of the nongovernmental organisations, schools, young people, civil society leaders, political leaders and governments as influencing and credible in the fight against the menace.

The workshop, which drew participants from various states, will end on Sunday.