By Simon Ndive Kalla
Members of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists CAMASEJ Limbe chapter have been challenged to check and double check information before disseminating to the public. The call was made by the Fako interim Divisional Delegate for Communication, Olive Ejang Tebug Epse Ndumea, during a special press lunch offered by the chapter president Ebong Pende Epiekesse to the members, on Saturday November 17 2018.
Olive Ejang Tebug said it comes as a reminder to media practitioners in Fako, and Cameroon in general, to return to the drawing board and overcome the excesses of social media on journalism. “Create your own identity, carve a niche for yourself, and make a name”.
While noting the unique role played by the social media in the gathering and dissemination of information by journalists, the interim delegate stated that “By effectively maintaining ethics on social media and beyond, journalists shall be promoting peace, unity and solidarity, which is in high demand in Cameroon today. The social media is said to have propagated the socio economic crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon”.
“The fake news phenomenon on social media makes reporting more challenging than ever. You will agree with me that majority of consumers rely on news on Facebook and WhatsApp.
However, social media lacks the method of policing content, and sources to prevent fictitious stories from spreading.” Olive Ejang explained.
“In this digital age, most journalists fail in their responsibility to check and double check information before publication. Social media has built laziness and arm chair journalism, which has destroyed the culture of solidarity and unity, a key function in journalism. Because of the bank of information available at our disposal, the legging process of journalism has been killed”, the seasoned journalist hammered.
On his part, the chapter president of CAMASEJ Limbe, Ebong Pende Epiekesse thanked the organising committee of the event who had worked tooth and nail for the success of the event, while praying that the Journalists continue to keep the spirit of oneness and togetherness so that by the end of it all, they should be beneficiary of the input they render to the society.
He stressed that, the challenges the Journalists face are always there and will always be there, but urged the journalists to brave them with fortitude and God will see them through.
Quizzed on the purpose of the press lunch, Ebong Pende said he discovered that the chapter was slow and needed some moment to its activities and also to bring Journalists together as a family to share a meal while listening to some professional work.
It should be noted that there was exchange of experiences which journalists face on the field. At the close of the event, the organising committee awarded Hilary Asong of Media Afrique Radio as winner of CAMASEJ Limbe media man of the month.