By Bolaji Abimbola
On Friday evening, the internet went agog with one of the most anticipated good news in our country in recent times, the rescue of the kidnapped school pupils and teachers from the Orire Local Government Area of Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Still, it is funny to see different news slants and narratives across mainstream media channels, blogs, and social media. Headlines such as, “Abducted Orire Pupils, Teachers Regains Freedom”, “Kidnapped Oyo Pupils, Teachers Released” “Troops Rescues Kidnapped Oyo Pupils, Teachers” etc.
The Media does not just report what happened; it does more than inform; it frames and defines. It decides what we see, how we see it, and why it matters. That is the power of shaping narratives; the media shape narratives, and narratives invariably shape public opinion. The media play four critical roles: Gatekeeping, Framing, Agenda Setting, and Opinion Formation.
While I absolutely agree that the media is not in the business of praise-singing, there is a need to scope and shape the correct narratives in the interest of the nation and our collective good. The media must always understand its critical responsibility to society, which goes beyond reporting.
Especially in this perma-crisis society we find ourselves in, which is not in isolation because the world as a whole is in the same situation, the media owes the society 3 main responsibilities: Accuracy over speed, Context over clicks and Balance over bias.
In this instance, the most important thing is that the children and the teachers have regained their freedom and are now reunited with their families and loved ones after horrendous 57 days in captivity of the dare-devil terrorists; however, setting the right tone, agenda and shaping the accurate narrative is important.
Did the unscrupulous terrorists voluntarily release the pupils and teachers, or did the gallantry rescue them and the bold and courageous effort of the combined efforts of the military, credible intelligence by the State Security Service in collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force and the support of some local and unconventional group or groups?
The fact is that the hard work, grit and commitment of the combined security operatives rescued the teachers.
While I am impressed by how some media platforms that broke the news have been updating their stories as more information becomes available, it is important to note that only verified sources in the Presidency, the Military, the Police, and the Oyo State Government can be trusted in this instance.
In the coming days, the media will be expected to provide deeper insights into the operations that led to the rescue and do the needful by commending the security forces for not failing the nation this time.
I will also be expecting that Public Commentators and OPED writers use the same energy they poured into calling on the government to rescue the abductees to appreciate the efforts that eventually led to the expected outcomes.
In a nutshell, the media still holds the ace in shaping narratives, and this power must be wielded patriotically, ethically and correctly in the interest of the nation. The media remains the most powerful tool for shaping how over 200 million Nigerians see our country. However, that power is now shared with creators, citizens, and AI. The most critical question at this point is: what story are we telling, and how are we shaping and framing it? We must prioritise the story we tell. If our desire is progress, we must shape the story of people and celebrate little wins, and if we want to attract investment or development, we must tell the stories of opportunity, not fear.
As a nation, defeating terrorism requires not just guns and intelligence, but also narratives that build confidence in our institutions. Let’s get the story right and shape the correct narratives.
Kudos to the entire team that worked tirelessly to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers.
