Monday, September 30, 2013

Maku says social media helps in tackling societal challenges



Anthony Nwakaegho/DigitalSENSE Business News

The usage of the social media has been advocated as a veritable platform that could be harnessed to tackle societal challenges facing public institutions in the country.

The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, dropped this hint in Osogbo at the 44th National Council on Information (NCI) conference with the theme “Social Media and Public Information Management” stressing that the same platform is capable of tackling challenges in the electoral process and environmental issues such as flooding.

Maku explained that the inherent dangers associated with the social media, like cyber bullying and defamation must be placed side by side with many benefits the same platform offers in media practise.

DigitalSENSE Business News learnt Maku pointed out that the public institutions and officials should take advantage of the social media platform to refute wrong information, since the remedy to slander or libel through the social media is in using the same platform as right of reply to such defamatory statement.
 “Public institutions and officials must ensure a more active and effective presence on the social media circuit, to ensure prompt rebuttal of wrongful publication. The council should address the issue of social media critically before 2015 with a view to checking its excesses,” he said.

In his opening remark, the Governor of Osun State Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola called on all ties of government to use the social media to advance the cause of development for the benefit of the masses.

Equally, the Acting Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chief Jide Adebayo said the media in the country should develop its capacity and be proactive in information management by using the on-line technological development to its advantage.


... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku,


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