Legislature Asked To Provide Legal Framework To Check Abuse Of Social Media

^{WRITTEN BY EMMANUEL OKONKWO}
The Legislature has been asked to enact active laws that would regulate dissemination of information especially on social media where fake news dominates.

This was a unanimous call by discussants in an ABS Radio live program, “Issues”.

Correspondent, Emmanuel Okonkwo reports that while speaking during the program, the State Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Emma Ifesinachi, who described communication as an essential aspect of human life which when abused, creates a vicious circle of anxiety and fear in the society, hence stressed the need for laws that would regulate information.

The Director News and Current Affairs Department, ABS, Mr. Gab Okpalaeze, said fake news though could be managed by the law, cannot be totally flushed out of the society as the emergence of social media worsens the situation each day.

Mr Okpalaeze observed that the World Communications Day has continued to achieve the primary objective of its establishment in 1967 by Pope Paul VI aimed at raising awareness against bad communications and fake news.

On his part, another media man, Mr. Ikedi Isiguzo, frowned at the rate social media users and fake journalists create tension in the society through fabrications of fake news, and called for attitudinal change, as according to him, the action has caused more harm than good to the peace and progress of the society.

Callers on the program aired their views on the importance of communication and information to human being.