A reader wrote and sent in this article to be featured
right here on T.I.N Magazine, expressing his mind on
why Nigeria should approve the social media bill, you
may disagree with his title but you might want to
take a look at his points, anyone can express his/her
disagreement with his points in the comments
section or send in a counter article.


Why Nigeria needs Social Media Bill to Curb
Irresponsible Journalism an article by Tony
Ogunlowo

This article is not going to win me any new friends – especially
in the blogging community – but in the spirit of democracy I
believe a bill to curb the irresponsibility of some bloggers and
social media users is necessary after all.
In a country that’s just getting to grips with the concept of free
speech, many see this proposed bill as an attempt to gag free
speech as the incumbent President did in 1984 with his
infamous Decree 4.
I don’t think it’s the intention of the sponsors of the social
media bill to return to the throwback days of controlled press
and free speech but to police it, weeding out what I would
refer to as rogue bloggers, for instance, who publish,
sometimes, malicious lies about people and the government.
Blogging , tweeting and commenting on the various social
media sites has become a new way for the ordinary person, in
the street, to share their opinion about anything with anybody
out there in the vast online community without fear of
restriction or persecution. But there needs to be checks and
balances.
The wanton spread of malicious lies, rumours or hearsay is
punishable by law in all countries around the world.
As a blogger myself I have a moral responsibility to ensure
that whatever information I share with my readers – on
Facebook, blogs, twitter etc – is the truth. It would be
irresponsible, for instance, to post an article or link suggesting
the government was planning to do something they were not
or post lies. In the dangerous world we live in today that can
lead to mass civil unrest.
There are a lot people who use the social media platforms
responsibly and some who don’t – these are the ones the bill
is aimed at.
Even though its and unwritten rule, bloggers for instance are
bound by the same code of conduct as journalists – stories
need to be researched properly and only the truth, not rumours
or lies , can be published or posted.
Most bloggers have a subscriber base that runs into hundreds
of thousands, and if they’re in the league of Perez Hilton or
the Kardashians that figure can run into millions and millions –
more than the circulation of most regional newspapers – and
an incorrect story, rumour or lie will go out to all of them
causing untold embarrassment to an individual concerned.
Now if a journalist, OAP or newscaster spreads a false story
the latter could be sued for libel or defamation of character. It
shouldn’t be any different for somebody who posts something
on any of the social media platforms. You can’t have one rule
for one and one for another.
Anyone, bloggers included, have to take full responsibility for
whatever they publish or post online. You can’t go round
slandering, spreading malicious rumours or lies about
someone or the government and expect to get away with it!
In light of this let’s take a look at some recent litigation
concerning some rogue social media users from around the
world:
- Under section 127 of the Communications Act of 2003 of the
United Kingdom 1,209 people in 2014 were convicted for
sending indecent, offensive or obscene messages.
- In April 2014 a Dutch girl was arrested for joking about
hijacking a plane on twitter.
- Wrestler Hulk Hogan was fired by the WWE over an N-word
rant on twitter.
- In 2011 Jordan Blackshaw and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan of the
UK were both jailed for 4 years after creating a Facebook
event encouraging a riot.
- In 2013 Yang Xiuyu was arrested by Chinese authorities for
spreading rumours online.
So bloggers and social media posters get your stories right!
Only publish what is the verifiable truth – not rumours or
hearsay – because if this bill goes through, a spell in Kirikiri
prison or a hefty fine is not an interesting prospect!

More articles like this from source...
SOURCE: http://www.takemetonaija.com/2015/12/why-nigeria-needs-social-media-bill-to.html