Towards reducing the spread of fake news in Nigeria, Facebook, Big Cabal Media, and Comic Republic on Wednesday announced the launch of a campaign called #NoFalseNewsZone.
Social media giant, Facebook, in a statement, said #NoFalseNewsZone is an educational campaign focused on helping people to identify false news and educate them on the actions to take to help minimise its spread in Nigeria.
Facebook’s Corporate Communications Manager for Anglophone West Africa, Oluwasola Obagbemi, said, “We are committed to the well-being of individuals and communities that use our platforms and we take responsibility in minimising the spread of false news.”
Obagbemi said Facebook was delighted to be working with Big Cabal Media and Comic Republic to launch #NoFalseNewsZone in Nigeria.
“As part of the campaign, Big Cabal Media and Comic Republic have also joined the conversation to sensitise Nigerians on how to identify and report false news online beyond a conceptual level,” the manager said.
Chief Executive Officer, Big Cabal Media, Tomiwa Aladekomo, said, “The world is increasingly relying on sourcing for information from digital news outlets and social media platforms.
“The consequences of false news are glaring and especially painful to those who fall victim.
“Big Cabal Media is passionate about connecting people to accurate news sources and is excited to work with Facebook on its #NoFalseNewsZone campaign.”
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Comic Republic, Mr. Jide Martin, said that as more people consume news and information on social media, service providers must become more socially responsible in order to combat misinformation on their platforms as effectively as possible.
“I am pleased to be working with Facebook, a company that has taken the bold step to use the longest and most relevant art form to tell the story of misinformation to drive the desired attitudinal change.
“Comic Republic has since used comics to shine the light on issues like social injustice, online security and domestic violence.
“We are pleased to be collaborating on art for a good cause and we cannot wait to show you what we are working on,” he said.
According to the statement, Facebook has also commenced the 2021 edition of its ‘safe online forum’ in Nigeria, bringing teachers, parents, and other important education stakeholders together to discuss ways of promoting and ensuring online safety and digital literacy for young people.
Note that Big Cabal Media is a Nigerian digital media company that engages African youths with conversations around culture, innovation, entertainment and entrepreneurship.
Similarly, Comic Republic is a Nigerian online multimedia company that primarily focuses on the digital distribution of indigenously created comic books.
(NAN)
