Be careful the way you report terrorism, journalists urged

THE Director-General of the State Security Services (SSS), Mr Ekpeyong Ita, said on Saturday that terrorists were merely seeking cheap publicity, which he said the media should deny them.
Ekpeyong, who spoke at the end of a week-long workshop for media men on national security, held at the Security Institute, Abuja, said that the media should strive to deny terrorists “the oxygen they require to survive.”
According to him, the media and security operatives were responsible and patriotic partners who must act together to secure the people.
He stated that the workshop was never intended to browbeat, hoodwink and brainwash journalists, but aimed at forming a viable partnership and developing better understanding.
He stated that; “trust and information flow between media practitioners and security agencies can help the media to maintain necessary balance between professional responsibility and patriotic duty.”
He added that as responsible and patriotic partners, the media and the security organizations; “must act together and deny the terrorists the cheap publicity they always crave.”
The DG further stated that; “As partners, we must, while performing our duties, refrain from magnifying the threat and fear, instead we must allay such fears and continuously reassure the people.
“Also, our reports of terrorism should be tailored to discourage more of such acts in order not to embolden the terrorists by the massive publicity they gain, thereby intensifying such acts. We must collectively deny them the oxygen they require to survive.”
“We must realise that it is our sacred duty to be very objective and accurate in the way terrorism is reported. Always remember that if any form of violence goes unreported or not reported sensationally, it s likely to have a reducing effect on such violence.”
He further noted that there was the need for closer ties and partnership between the media and security, adding that security agencies must keep the media consciously abreast of the sensitivity of their role in the war against terrorism.
“The propaganda by the terrorist sects can easily be countered by providing a continuous flow of credible, reliable, timely and accurate information through the media to the public.
“Such help will assist security agencies to defeat efforts by terrorists to diminish national will, destroy our collective patrimony and deliberately turn public opinion against security agencies,” he said.

Tribune