Abuja, Nigeria: The Steering Committee of the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE) Network has urged journalists to prioritise peace-driven reportage in efforts to prevent violent extremism across the country.
Chairman of the network, Mr Jaye Gaskia, gave the charge on Tuesday at a two-day roundtable and inauguration of the Media Against Violent Extremism (MAVE) initiative in Abuja.
The event has the theme “Amplifying Voices for Peace: Media Partnerships in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) and Resilience Building”.
It was co-organised by ActionAid Nigeria and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).
PAVE is a national civil society network present in 22 states, dedicated to strengthening partnerships between government, civil society, communities and non-state actors, while advancing context-appropriate PCVE practices.
Gaskia stressed that media professionals occupy a strategic position in shaping narratives, raising awareness, and promoting peace, adding that sensationalism, misinformation and stigmatisation must be avoided in reportage.
He said the principles of PCVE media reporting called for fact-based narratives, reliance on credible sources, accuracy, clarity, and respect for the dignity of victims.
“As journalists, we must remember to separate expert analysis from field reports, and to use only official information to qualify crimes to avoid misinterpretation,” he said.
Gaskia added that journalists should highlight the root causes of violent extremism, provide alternative narratives to counter extremist propaganda, and foster trust through community engagement.
He explained that the newly inaugurated MAVE initiative was designed to deepen collaboration between journalists and peace advocates in countering extremist narratives and strengthening community resilience across Nigeria.