Madein gave the warning on Thursday whereas delivering the keynote handle at the fiftieth anniversary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ogun State Council, held at Iwe Irohin Press Centre, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.
The anniversary lecture was themed: “Truth, Trust and the Press: Protecting Democratic Choice and Rebuilding Public Trust in Journalism.”
Madein described the celebration as a jubilee of braveness and a renewal of the journalist’s covenant with fact, noting that Ogun stays the cradle of Nigerian journalism the place Iwe Irohin was based in 1859 by Rev Henry Townsend.
She nevertheless warned that journalism is going through its fiercest take a look at, with falsehood travelling quicker than fact.
“For without fact, belief collapses; without belief, the press loses its ethical authority; and without a credible press, democratic selection is left uncovered to manipulation.
“Artificial intelligence offers remarkable tools, but it can also manufacture convincing deception. Social platforms reward heat, haste and outrage; journalism must still choose light, patience and verification,” she mentioned.
Madein maintained that the press doesn’t select for the folks and mustn’t ever substitute itself for INEC, the courts or the citizens.
“The noble task of the press is to equip Nigerians to choose, to defend their right to know and to ensure that those entrusted with power remain answerable,” she mentioned.
She warned journalists in opposition to vote-shopping for, pretend endorsements, deepfakes and declaring winners earlier than lawful bulletins.
Also talking, Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, congratulated the union on 50 years of dedication to democracy and improvement.
Abiodun mentioned the media stays a companion in his administration’s drive and charged journalists to stay honest and unbiased.
“Remain fair and unbiased in your reportage. Where there are disagreements, let the facts speak. Where there are allegations, let verification precede publication,” he mentioned.
On his half, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, who spoke at the panel session, blamed weak establishments for the challenges going through journalism.
Ojajuni mentioned regulatory our bodies should implement sanctions when tips are violated, calling for steady coaching and retraining and lamenting that social media has made everybody declare to be a journalist.
Earlier in his welcome handle, Chairman, NUJ Ogun State Council, Wale Olarenwaju, mentioned the anniversary will not be merely for celebration however to confront an existential disaster threatening the career.
Olarenwaju mentioned Ogun stays the birthplace of journalism from Henry Townsend’s Iwe Irohin in 1859 to the legacies of Obafemi Awolowo and Bisi Onabanjo, however warned that financial collapse, political seize and disinformation have gutted the media.
“Unpaid reporters and financially starved newsrooms cannot hold power accountable, reducing journalism to brown envelope sycophancy,” he mentioned.
He urged journalists to decide on fact over entry and independence over survival.
