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Bloggers, Online Journalists, Fake News and The Identity Question

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Bloggers, Online Journalists, Fake News and The Identity Question- By Israel O. Bolaji-Gbadamosi

The meteoric rise of social media and the attendant birth of citizen journalism have, indeed, reset the way information is now shared and consumed globally. As at October 2020, 4.14 billion people or 53% of total global population use social media. Interestingly, Facebook alone has over 3.2 billion users/readers worldwide and over 210 million in Africa – that translates to a whopping 42% of the world and 16% of the 1.3b African population respectively (The Global State of Digital 2019). In Nigeria, at least 85% of the 25million active social media users as at March 2020 are on Whatsapp. And there are more. With such a humongous audience, everybody has suddenly become so itchy to share some information or ‘news’, accurate or otherwise. All that is required is only an internet-enabled mobile phone!

 

 

 

 

To that end, some questions have popped up in recent discourses on citizen journalism, social media and the fake news scourge. There is one question bordering on identity. Who is an online journalist, a blogger or an online publisher? And are they solely responsible for the fake news scourge?

 

 

These posers have been fueled largely by the myriad of unwholesome practices that now permeate the social and online media space, especially with information and ‘news’ dissemination in the wake of social and new media explosion. In an unprecedented manner, information is shared on various social media platforms by just any Joe or Jane, particularly on Whatsapp and Facebook, without due recourse to the source or and authenticity. Their stock in trade is to just forward as received.

 

 

 

The second dimension and key focus points to media charlatans, who are at best media neophytes or sometimes total strangers to the profession but have been driven by economic constraints and empowered as ‘citizen journalists with internet-enabled devices and a free blogging site, and are therefore masquerading as bloggers or journalists, publishing just about anything. From lewd gists to bland gossips or hypes; from the mundane to the horrible. Strangely though, they continue to attract enviable readership and advertising patronage. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

 

Blogger vs Online Journalist
While names such as online publisher, blogger, online journalist have been used interchangeably to describe persons or organizations that publish news and information online, the crux lies in the noticeable slide in ethical journalistic practices. In a way, while a blogger, traditionally, is known for publishing content largely from scoops, scandals, lifestyle, celebrity and other mild subjects, the online journalist is more of the mainstream journalist with the only difference being the online medium of plying the same old trade. But for both, the ethical standards remain the same. The news could be bad or good, but should be verified and fairly reported.

 

 

However, the spate of quackery and unethical trends in the online media space have prompted the identity question from the general public, which has become much bewildered. Without mincing words, professional media practice is currently at a low in the online media space, littered with verbatim content plagiarism, semi-literate reporters, poor command of grammar, syntax and lexis, lack of consistent writing style and news verification, weak proofreading and blatant transactional reportage. Those who operate beyond this pedestal are and should be addressed as online journalists.

 

 

One group that has noticed the Achilles’ heel in this regard is the corporate organizations. Privately, it holds a terrible impression of online newspapers – ‘the baby and the water’. But for the readership power, influence and the fear of its occasional scandals leaking out, it keeps a bland smile publicly and grudgingly tag along. I have also recently heard a few policemen friends, in light conversations, derogatorily wave all online newspapers aside as ‘online publishers’. For them, only the very popular household names like Punch, Guardian, Vanguard and co count; others don’t – including DailyPost, Legit.com, PremuimTimes, TheCable, TheConscience, Eagleonline and others who command nearly as much readership as the top 5 traditional media. You can imagine the stark ignorance! Needless to say that even the traditional media space is also not without its peculiar mess, occasioned by months of non-salary payments, media racketeering, commercial media gatekeeping amongst others.

Missing Link
The missing link in the online media space is the traditional quality control mechanism, including production editing and watertight editorial scrutiny. This mechanism has traditionally “cleaned up the reporters’ mess” and provided continuous tutelage for reporters on writing but its absence in the online media space has exposed the system. This is the distinguishing factor between the wobbly mass and the outstanding few.

On a larger scale, the problems are also another reflection of the general dip in the quality of education and economy in Nigeria, as seen manifesting across many professional fields.

Who Is Responsible for Fake News?
Every group in the Nigerian society contributes to the scourge of fake news. Online media is never solely responsible. Governments and indeed all private and public organizations telling half-truths and sometimes outright lies, and orchestrating cover-ups in the media are guilty. The public has received so many versions of what happened at Lekki toll gate shooting that everyone has become so confused and unwilling to further hear or believe any of the accounts anymore. And lastly, everyone who goes on WhatsApp and Facebook to just share any information as received without verification. Yes, all are guilty and responsible.

Online Media is the big deal!
Regardless of its issues, online journalism is the future and can’t be avoided. CNN, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Washington Post, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and other respected global newspapers are all online with increasing dwindling print pages and copies. In Nigeria, top newspapers are investing massively in online versions and competing well online with smaller players. Punch, BusinessDay and Vanguard are classical cases. The Guardian and Sun are picking up the pace. Many senior journalists formerly writing for popular print media houses but have been axed owing to the wobbly economy now run their start-up online newspapers and many small platforms now have highly skilled and experienced hands behind them, opening up the space for intense competition and the survival of the strongest.

Globally, more eyeballs continue to converge on mobile phone and devices, as such, reinforcing the indispensability of everything online especially mobile -retail, gaming, shopping, banking etc. Government, on its end, is also making frantic efforts, under the guise of fixing the challenges of information flow online, to regulate the social and online media space but gagging opposing voices and views has been reported identified as the core target.

Unfortunately, the platform with the highest viewers, and by extension influence, rules the online space. And because more people prefer to read gossips and junks more, serious writers aren’t getting as much traction. So, many serious ones are courting a bit of sensation just to spice up and catch up.

Solutions
As most of the damage done online with respect to information dissemination is by the itchy-finger public that share just anything on social media- WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, government and social media companies should intensify awareness programs to discourage the habit of just sharing information on social media without verifying source and authenticity. Information should be questioned and certified true by relevant authority before being circulated. In the same vein, the government should not regulate but allow the existing laws of libel applicable to print media to also operate online.

Online Media groups and clusters should be encouraged through which training and retraining can be done consistently to bridge the skill gaps. Corporate organizations don’t have a choice than to work with online newspapers, therefore, should key into the cluster groups and court sincere relationships.

Finally, online newspaper groups should step up the practice with some mild self-regulation through cluster groups under whose supervision sub-standard platforms are identified and mentored through crash courses, seminars and peer reviews, and sanctioned when necessary.

Israel O. Bolaji-Gbadamosi is a journalist, Communications Advisor, Public Affairs Analyst and Poet.

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BREAKING: Former President Muhammadu Buhari Dies in London Hospital

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BUHARI CONGRATULATES FBN ON 40 YEARS OF CROSS-BORDER BANKING IN UK

BREAKING: Former President Muhammadu Buhari Dies in London Hospital

 

Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, has passed away. He died on Sunday afternoon in a clinic in London, where he had reportedly been receiving medical attention.

BREAKING: Former President Muhammadu Buhari Dies in London Hospital

The sad news was confirmed in a brief two-paragraph statement released by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu. The statement read in part: “INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHIRRAJIUUN. The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin.”

 

Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s civilian president from 2015 to 2023 after a previous stint as military head of state (1983–1985), was a central figure in the country’s political and military history. His death marks the end of an era for many Nigerians who saw him as a symbol of integrity and national discipline.

This is a developing story. More details to follow.

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Today’s Effort, Tomorrow’s Triumph: The Undeniable Power of Doing Your Best Today

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Today’s Effort, Tomorrow’s Triumph: The Undeniable Power of Doing Your Best Today.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

D best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.

In a world addicted to shortcuts and obsessed with quick wins, the timeless wisdom behind the quote above cuts through the noise like a sharpened sword. The idea that tomorrow’s success depends entirely on today’s actions is not a cliché, it is an irrefutable truth. Whether in faith, science, economics or personal development, one law stands firm: today’s SEED is tomorrow’s HARVEST.

Today’s Effort, Tomorrow’s Triumph: The Undeniable Power of Doing Your Best Today.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

We can not continue to fold our hands in laziness today and expect miracles tomorrow. A nation can not waste time, bury talent and ignore responsibility today and then complain about failure tomorrow. Life does not reward intentions; it rewards actions.

Faith Speaks: Christianity and Islam Agree on the Power of Today. This principle is not just motivational; it is deeply spiritual. Across the world’s major religions, the doctrine of intentional daily action is clear.

In the Bible
Proverbs 6:6-8 teaches:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”

The lesson here is blunt: the time to prepare is now, not later.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 further reinforces this:

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”

In the Quran
Islam emphasizes the same responsibility of living intentionally and working righteously each day. In Surah Al-Zalzalah (99:7-8), the Holy Qur’an declares:

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”

This verse reminds believers that nothing is wasted; every small effort counts and will show its result, either today or tomorrow. It is a divine call to mindfulness and proactive living.

Also, in Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:11), Allah says:

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”

Change does not fall from the sky. God helps those who help themselves; today, not when it is convenient.

Procrastination is the Poison of Purpose
Dr. Timothy Pychyl, a psychology professor at Carleton University, states that:

“Procrastination is not a time management problem, it is an emotion regulation problem.”

We put off effort not because we lack time, but because we avoid discomfort. Yet nothing of value has ever been built in comfort. From Moses to Muhammad (PBUH), from Mandela to Martin Luther King Jr., progress has always come from people who embraced struggle today to secure peace tomorrow.

From Nations to Individuals: A Pattern of Success. Japan, South Korea and Singapore, these countries did not wait for the future to be great. They built it. After war and poverty, they chose to invest in education, discipline, innovation and daily excellence. The results? Economic prosperity, global respect and technological advancement.

Compare that with many African nations, where politics, procrastination and misplaced priorities have crippled development. Nigeria, for instance, continues to grapple with the consequences of poor preparation. We cannot talk about transformation if we do not first talk about intentional effort; daily, consistent and focused.

The Economy of Today. Economists describe something called the Law of Diminishing Intent: the longer you delay action, the less likely you are to do it at all. In business, delaying a product launch or avoiding staff training today often leads to loss of competitive edge tomorrow.

Brian Tracy, in his bestselling book Eat That Frog, emphasizes:

“Your ability to discipline yourself to set clear goals and then work on them every day will do more to guarantee your success than any other single factor.”

In other words, daily action beats monthly inspiration.

Talent is Nothing Without Today’s Discipline. Too many young people have talents buried in the coffin of laziness. Dreams without daily action are hallucinations. The Bible says in Proverbs 14:23:

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

Success is not a gift; it is a product. You cannot wish your way into greatness. You must work your way into it—step by step, day by day.

The Quran also teaches in Surah An-Najm (53:39):

“And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives.”

It doesn’t get clearer than that. You get only what you strive for.

Global Voices That Support the Principle. Great minds from various backgrounds have echoed this truth:

Angela Duckworth (Author of Grit): “Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.”
Daily effort is the dividing line between the average and the great.

Jim Rohn: “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”

Barack Obama: “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something.”

Malcolm X: “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

When both Eastern and Western wisdom align, when scriptures and scholars agree, then it is no longer a theory; it is a law.

Time is the Most Precious Currency. Unlike money, time cannot be earned back. Once gone, it is gone forever. Every second wasted is a blessing buried. The Quran calls mankind to account for their time. In Surah Al-Asr (103:1-3), Allah says:

“By Time, verily man is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and enjoin each other to truth and patience.”

Even belief must be accompanied by action, otherwise it results in loss. Believing in your future without acting today is self-deception.

A Message to Nigeria’s Youth and Leaders. Let us be brutally honest. Nigeria will not change through slogans. Africa will not rise through hashtags. Real transformation begins with action; by the citizens, by the youth and most critically, by the leaders.

Our failure to plan, our tendency to delay reforms, our endless “we’ll do it later” mindset; this is what chains our future. We must kill procrastination before it kills our potential.

Instead of wishing for a better Nigeria, wake up and become the better Nigerian. Apply for the course. Register the business. Clean the streets. Learn the skill. Fight corruption. Demand accountability. Do your best today.

Final Thoughts: The Time is Now. The truth is simple: You will not rise tomorrow if you sit today.

Yes, life is unfair. Yes, circumstances can be hard; but you must never give the excuse of tomorrow for what you can perfect today. Success does not belong to the most privileged. It belongs to the most prepared.

Let us leave you with the words of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who said:

“If the Hour (the end of the world) is about to be established and one of you was holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before it happens and plant it.” (Musnad Ahmad)

That is how powerful the present moment is even if the world is ending, still do your best now.

The Closing Reflections.
Tomorrow is not a miracle waiting to happen. It is the fruit of today’s labor. If you want to succeed, begin today. If you want to change your story, act now. If you want a better nation, do not just hope; build it.

The best preparation for tomorrow is not luck. It is doing your best today without excuse, without delay and without fear.

Today’s Effort, Tomorrow’s Triumph: The Undeniable Power of Doing Your Best Today.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

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NDA Cadets to Conduct Live Firing Exercises, Residents Advised to Take Precautions

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NDA Cadets to Conduct Live Firing Exercises, Residents Advised to Take Precautions

NDA Cadets to Conduct Live Firing Exercises, Residents Advised to Take Precautions

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is set to conduct a Range Classification Exercise for Cadets of the 73 Regular Course from July 14 to 18, 2025, at the NDA Open Range.

According to Major Mohammed Maidawa, Academy Public Relations Officer, the four-day exercise is designed to enhance the Cadets’ skills in live firing scenarios and will be instrumental in their training and preparedness.

NDA Cadets to Conduct Live Firing Exercises, Residents Advised to Take Precautions

Major Maidawa urged local residents and communities to be aware of the exercise schedule and not to be alarmed by the sounds associated with live firing activities during this period.

He also advised farmers, herders, and residents to avoid entering or trespassing into the NDA Open Range and surrounding areas from July 14 to 18, 2025, citing public safety as a priority.

“Public safety is our priority, and adhering to these guidelines will help prevent any accidents,” he said.

The NDA appeals to the public to cooperate and disseminate the information to ensure awareness and safety.

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