World Journalists To Discuss Hate Speech In Abuja

Hate speech, press freedom and quality of journalism will form the discussion at the 2018 World Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) which holds in Abuja, Nigeria, from June 21 – 23, 2018.

The Congress, which comes ahead of Nigeria’s 2019 general elections, has been themed “Why Journalism Matters; Quality Media For Strong Societies”.

According to information on IPI’s website, the Congress will discuss amongst other issues press freedom, quality of journalism and hate speeches.

“The World Congress will affirm the indispensable role of quality media in building strong societies, showcasing investigative stories and projects that bring positive change to individuals and communities in Africa and around the world,” information on International Press Institute’s read.

Meanwhile, IPI’s Director, Barbara Trionfi, while addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, said the organisation perceives hate speech as a serious problem in the country.

Trionfi said, “We look at hate speech as a major problem. It is becoming popular among political leaders across the world. How can we conduct elections without hate speeches and how can we also ensure that the media is not used to disseminate hate speech and also to ensure that this does not become a way for anybody occupying government position to clamp down on press freedom.

“We are trying to understand how we can ensure that quality and public interest is upheld in journalism.

“We will also look at the limit of press freedom from legislative and ethical preparative and what are the best practices. We shall also be looking at new technologies for investigative journalism and how it can be used to do our work better.

“Gender issue will also be a strong topic in the Congress, we will look at gender balance in the newsroom and how do we balance gender issue in our report,” she said.