Chairman Mahmood Yakubu of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) emphasized the peril of hate speech
Chairman Mahmood Yakubu of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) emphasized the peril of hate speech in the electoral process during the iVerify project launch held in Abuja by the international Press Centre.
Represented by the Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Yakubu stressed that hate speech poses a significant threat to social peace and the electoral process itself. He outlined several dangers associated with hate speech during elections:
1. Undermining Democratic Values: Hate speech violates the core principles of democracy, such as respect for human rights, equality, and fair treatment of all individuals. It targets people based on their race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and other characteristics, perpetuating discrimination and exclusion.
2. Disrupting Social Cohesion: Hate speech fuels social division and exacerbates tensions within communities.
3. Inciting Violence and Intolerance: Hate speech has the potential to incite violence and discrimination against targeted groups. It can provoke aggression, harassment, and intimidation, disrupting the peaceful conduct of elections.
4. Undermining Political Discourse: It shifts attention away from substantial discussions and policies.
5. Undermining Trust in Institutions: The proliferation of hate speech erodes public trust in democratic institutions, including the electoral system, political leadership, and the media.
Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), underscored the urgency to combat misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and hate speech, particularly in electoral and democratic processes. He emphasized the necessity for journalists to undergo capacity building in fact-checking electoral information and promoting media literacy.
Arogundade highlighted the role of journalists as detectives of disinformation, urging them to utilize fact-checking tools to present factual information rather than opinionated content. He emphasized that combatting disinformation requires embracing media literacy to educate journalists, media professionals, and the public.
The emphasis remains on empowering journalists with fact-checking skills, promoting media literacy, and fostering an environment conducive to credible information dissemination to combat the spread of hate speech and misinformation during elections.
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