The newly appointed Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel, has pledged to strengthen collaboration with the media to curb misinformation in the reportage of military activities.
Commodore Nimmyel made this commitment on Thursday during a media parley held at the Naval Base, aimed at fostering a productive partnership between the Navy and journalists.
Speaking at the event, the Commander emphasised the crucial role of the media in accurate information dissemination, noting that one-sided reporting can lead to misinformation and misinterpretation of military operations.
He further stressed the importance of a functional feedback system, warning that faulty feedback mechanisms could result in the public receiving misleading narratives.
“We have what we call the media line of operations, and the media can be used both positively and negatively,” Nimmyel stated.
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Drawing from his experience in counter-insurgency operations in the North East, he explained how terrorists leverage media platforms to manipulate public perception, particularly in under-informed communities.
“When you send misleading messages to communities that lack access to balanced reporting, the effects can be enormous and damaging,” he noted.
Commodore Nimmyel urged journalists to ensure that the Navy’s perspective is accurately represented in their reports, stating: “Help us tell our story well. If you don’t give the media your own side of the story, they will tell it for you—and trust me, you will not like it.”
To facilitate transparency, he assured the media of open access to information about the Base’s operations, emphasising that the era of “all efforts to reach the Commander proved abortive” should be eliminated.
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