BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A former Nigerian Ambassador to Philippines, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, has charged the media practitioners to be wary of the way they report terror related issues in the country, noting that terrorists often take advantage of the reports of their attacks to create fear in the minds of the people.
Farounbi, a veteran journalist, attributed the success of terrorism operations in the country to media reports, which, he said, often excited criminals and built anxiety in members of the public.
In an interview in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Farounbi explained that terrorism could not succeed without the media.
“Terrorists need the media to succeed because they want the media to report their activities in order to create fear in the minds of the people.
“There is a need for us, media practitioners, to sieve our reports well when they affect national security. While we strive for objectivity and factual reportage, we must always bear in mind the fact that reporting terrorism in a country may not be helpful to the nation.
“Aside from that, they can demoralise the government and security agents who are fighting the criminals,” he said.
On the way forward, he urged the media practitioners in the country not to over-report terrorism so as not to attach undue attention to the perpetrators.
