Be mindful of your writings, HOD tells campus journalists -By Zainab Abdullahi

The Head of Department, HoD, of Mass Communication at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), in Niger State, Dr. Ternenge Ende, has urged campus journalists to ensure they critically evaluate the content of their reports and articles on happenings in their schools.

Ende, gave the advice during an ‘Annual Lecture’ event organized at the institution by the Mass Communication Students’ Association, MACOSA.

“Towards Curbing Infodemic in an Era of Heightened Risk,” was the theme of the lecture.

He admonished his students to be responsible, especially in the way they deploy their pens to report various activities and issues in the campus.

The Benue State-born HoD, who was represented by Mr Andrew Ngene, said doing so will help curb infodemic in the society.

“Your pen is a powerful instrument that can build, and at the same, cause massive destruction,” he said.

Ende, further charged the students to be wary of some social media posts and their contents, to avoid disseminating fake news.

His words: “Journalists are the society’s watch dog, and that is why the society always looks up to them for good and credible information. You must always be after facts and also engage in fact checking for you to produce accurate, reliable, factual and credible news stories.”

In their separate remarks, Niger State’s Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Mall. Muhammad Sani Idris, and Mall. Jibrin Baba Ndace, who represented the Publisher of Blueprint newspaper, Alh. Muhammad Idris, stressed the need for the students to adhere to sound journalism ethics, while avoiding acts that can smear their integrity as responsible student-writers and campus journalists.

Highpoint of the occasion was the launching of ‘Trumpet’ newspaper, produced by the MACOSA members.

*Abdullahi is a 300-level Mass Comm Student at IBBUL.*