Facebook, others launch #NoFalseNewsZone campaign to tackle False News

Facebook in partnership with Big Cabal Media and Comic Republic, has launched  #NoFalseNewsZone, an educational campaign focused on helping people identify false news and educate them on the actions to take to help minimise its spread in Nigeria.

“At Facebook, we are committed to the wellbeing of the individuals and communities that use our platforms, and are invested in, and take responsibility in minimising the spread of false news,” Oluwasola Obagbemi, Facebook’s corporate communications manager for Anglophone West Africa said, while commenting on the launch of the campaign.

“We are super excited to be working with Big Cabal Media and Comic Republic to launch #NoFalseNewsZone in Nigeria,” Obagbemi added.

As part of the campaign, Big Cabal Media and Comic Republic have also joined the conversation to sensitize Nigerians on how to identify and report false news online beyond a conceptual level.

Speaking on the collaboration, Tomiwa Aladekomo, Big Cabal Media CEO, said, “The world is increasingly relying on sourcing for information from digital news outlets and social media platforms. The consequences of false news are glaring and especially painful to those who fall victim. Big Cabal Media is passionate about connecting people to accurate news sources and is excited to work with Facebook on its #NoFalseNewsZone campaign.”

Jide Martin, Comic Republic CEO, also said, “As more people spend time on their screens, consuming news and information on social media, service providers must become more socially responsible in order to combat misinformation on their platforms as effectively as possible. I am pleased to be working with Facebook, a company that has taken the bold step to use the longest and most relevant art form to tell the story of misinformation to drive the desired attitudinal change. Comic Republic has since used comics to shine the light on issues like social injustice, online security, and domestic violence. We are pleased to be collaborating on art for a good cause and we can’t wait to show you what we are working on.”

Facebook has also commenced the 2021 edition of its ‘safe online forum’ in Nigeria, bringing teachers, parents, and other important education stakeholders together to discuss ways of promoting and ensuring online safety and digital literacy for young people.

Feedback received from the forum will be used to design future safety-related programs.