The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has applauded the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for sanctioning three media houses station for spreading unverified news items over the EndSARS protest. This was contained in a statement by, Niyi Akinsiju, Secretary of the group, and Cassidy Madueke, saying the said media houses violated the extant rules guiding broadcasting practice.
BMO throw their weight behind the NBC saying the posture of the AIT, Arise TV and Channels was responsible for escalating the crises that nearly throw Nigeria into chaos. The group stated that the sanction has sent a strong warning to other media houses that may be mulling to tore the same lane in the country.
Theycondemned that media houses that are expected to be the watchdog of the nation have now turned themselves into propagators of fake news is unacceptable. According to the group, there is no justification for Channels Television, Arise Television and AIT to transmit footage they obtain on social media without verifying the veracity of the information. They opined that that singular act was capable of changing the psyche of the populace if it was anything to go by and have fall short of professionalism.
BMO claimed that their collective conduct instigated the youth into violence. The statement said; “They helped create a self-serving justification for the humungous looting spree that gripped many parts of the country. We commend the NBC for exercising obvious and strong regulatory surveillance over the broadcast industry and encourage the Commission to continue in this line”, the statement read.
They noted that holding the media house liable for their breach of code of ethic practice emanating as a result of using unverifiable sources of information was bad behaviour and mischief. They said Nigerians have commended the NBC for living to their responsibility for punishing offenders.
