Gov Eno’s aide tasks journalists on professionalism, decries rate of misinformation
Senior Special Assistant to Governor Umo Eno on Research and Documentation, Dr Essien Ndueso, has urged media professionals to uphold professionalism and truth in the discharge of their duties.
He also raised concern over the alarming spread of misinformation and unverified reports on social media, stressing that though information travels faster on social media, the speed without accuracy should not be mistaken for journalism.
Ndueso who is also the Board of Trustees Chairman of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals, stated this while delivering a lecture on “The Rise of Citizen Journalism: Opportunities and Challenges for Mainstream Media.”
This was at the 2026 Media Symposium in collaboration with the Solid Minerals Development Fund, SMDF, and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
He said the media landscape is evolving as digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have transformed the way information is generated and disseminated, enabling ordinary citizens to participate actively in news gathering and reporting.
He charged the mainstream media organisations to adapt to the changing realities by embracing digital tools, fact-checking mechanisms, multimedia storytelling, and stronger audience engagement.
He also encouraged collaboration between professional journalists and citizen reporters, provided such collaborations are guided by ethics, responsibility, and accuracy.
Referencing the End SARS protests, Dr Ndueso explained that citizen-generated reports played a significant role in documenting events and drawing global attention to happenings across the country.
“For every truth it reveals, there is a lie that travels faster,” he stated, emphasising the need for verification and ethical standards in news dissemination.
Ndueso maintained that the emergence of citizen journalism should not be viewed as the extinction of traditional media, but rather its transformation and evolution.
“You are no longer just storytellers; you are verifiers of storms, interpreters of chaos, guardians of credibility,” he said.
The Media Aide urged journalists and social media users alike to cultivate the habit of verifying information before publishing or forwarding it, noting that trust remains the most valuable currency in journalism and public communication.
The high point of the One Day Media Symposium was the conferment of a vote of confidence on Senator Ekong Sampson for his remarkable contributions to the district through effective representation.
Gov Eno’s aide tasks journalists on professionalism, decries rate of misinformation
