Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has called on media practitioners and editorial leaders across Nigeria to adopt a more strategic posture in counterterrorism efforts by refusing to amplify the messages of extremist groups.
Addressing journalists at the seventh edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series, held Wednesday at the National Press Centre in Abuja, Idris emphasized that editorial discretion plays a pivotal role in shaping public perception, safeguarding national security, and sustaining the morale of military personnel engaged in frontline operations.
He said, “The media, as gatekeepers and partners in nation-building, have a crucial role to play in supporting our military’s morale by highlighting their successes and sacrifices. Our armed forces are not only respected by global allies but also feared by those who threaten our collective peace.
“It is equally important to recognise that the fight against insecurity is not limited to kinetic approaches. It is also a battle for the hearts and minds of our people – one that terrorist groups are actively exploiting through propaganda, especially on social media platforms.
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“I therefore call on our media professionals and editors to be discerning in their reportage. We must deny these groups the undue publicity they crave. ”
He warned editors against glamorising terrorism through sensational coverage and called for a more patriotic and security-conscious approach to reporting.
He emphasized the need to remove such individuals from the front pages and to report on them accurately as the criminals they truly were, without glorifying their actions or lending credibility to their false narratives. He stressed that they were not freedom fighters, but rather murderers, kidnappers, and destroyers, and should be portrayed accordingly.