Politics
Fake Report: NBC Fines Arise TV N2m After Tinubu Campaign’s Petition
NBC has fined Arise TV N2 million after Tinubu campaign’s petition over a fake report.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has sanctioned Arise TV for airing a fake report about the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.
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Recall that Arise TV had fell for a fake statement attributed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently.
The statement claimed that INEC was investigating Tinubu over alleged criminal forfeiture of money on offences bordering on narcotics and illicit drugs.
However, the commission on Saturday denied releasing such a statement, describing it as fake news.
Consequently, Arise TV on Sunday apologised for airing the details of the fake statement.
In a statement on Monday, the NBC announced its sanction against the television station for breaching the broadcasting code.
The regulator also frowned at Arise TV’s failure to double check the veracity of the information it got from the social media as the commission has advised.
The commission, therefore, called on broadcasters to verify every news item amid the electioneering season.
“On Saturday, 12th November, 2022, the Commission monitored the use of a Press Release purportedly signed by Festus Okoye Esq, the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by Arise TV,” the statement reads.
“The said Press Release alleged that INEC is investigating the issue of forfeiture by a US Court against the presidential candidate of the APC, with a view to prosecution.
“The Press Release in reference has been tagged FAKE by INEC and the organisation has also issued a counter Press Release to refute the story.
“It would be recalled that the National Broadcasting Commission, between 19th and 26th of September, 2022, went round the Country to sensitize broadcasters and remind them on the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code and the Electoral Act as we count down to 2023 General Elections.
“The Commission also underscored the need for broadcasters to double check the veracity of any information, especially, those gotten from the Social Media (User Generated Content UGC) which is, specifically, affirmed by Section 5.6.5. of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
“Likewise, we draw attention to Section 5.0.1 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code which provides that ‘News shall be presented as a truthful and accurate account of an event or phenomenon.
“News requires the highest level of responsibility by practitioners in adhering to the most pristine of their professional ethics. These includes truthfulness, accuracy, fairness, objectivity, impartiality.
“News is the most potent of all broadcasts and therefore, the editorial responsibility of the broadcaster is sacrosanct. Every news item must be verified.
“The Commission, along with stakeholders, have been working towards a free and fair general election and enjoins broadcasters to continue to perform their duties professionally, in order to bring about a successful democratic process.
“Nevertheless, the Commission uses this opportunity to warn all broadcasters to adhere to the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, Regulations and other Extant Laws, as it will not hesitate to sanction any broadcaster that contravenes the above requirements.”
APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu
Earlier, the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) petitioned the NBC, demanding sanctions against Arise TV and Channels Television for airing the report.
The APC’s demand was made in a petition signed by the PCC’s special adviser on Media, Communications and Public Affairs, Dele Alake, and addressed to the Director-General of the NBC, Balarabe Ilelah.
“The case in question, which did not indict our candidate, has since been overtaken by events after interrogation and correspondences between the then Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, in 2003 and the United States government,” the petition reads in part.
“The US Justice Department in a letter dated February 4, 2003, issued by the Lagos Consulate of the United States Embassy cleared our candidate. The letter was signed by Michael Bonner, the Consulate’s legal attaché.
“The Campaign Council was therefore surprised that certain media houses, such as ARISE News and Channels TV among others, went ahead to transmit and broadcast issues purportedly indicting our candidate in violation of section 3,3 I of the Code which says that ‘The Broadcaster shall ensure that any information given in a programme in whatever form is accurate.
“We believe that the operators of the stations, by their professional standing, should have access to research platforms to verify information before dishing it to the public.
“Notwithstanding the broadcast of the falsehood peddled by opposition elements, Arise TV and Channels TV went ahead to transmit and circulate a fake letter insinuating that INEC had initiated an investigation of the APC presidential candidate premised on the fake letter in circulation.
“Section 5.1.2 states that the broadcaster shall present news as factual and in correct and fair manner without distortion, exaggerations or misrepresentation while Section 5.1.3 further states that ‘fake news is prohibited.’
“The fake INEC letter has been proven to be fake and this breach is tantamount to disinformation.
“Arise TV has admitted guilt to this in a broadcast few days ago. We make bold to say that in 2014 the AIT transmitted a TV documentary ‘The Lion of Bourdillon’ to which the NBC sanctioned it and it apologised to the victim.
“However, only last week, a chieftain of the PDP, Chief Bode George, in an interview on Arise TV, referred to materials from the documentary to vilify our presidential candidate in breach of the code and the apology granted the victim.
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“These breaches attract a sanction of Class B and we implore the NBC to invoke the aforementioned sections to penalise Arise TV and Channels TV for breach of the broadcast code. Section 5.3.3 of the code states that, ‘The Broadcaster shall (b) in using political materials for news and current affairs programmes, avoid hate speech, inflammatory, derogatory and divisive remarks or allusions.’”
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