GOVERNANCE WATCH INITIATIVE DEMANDS UNRESERVED APOLOGY TO NIGERIANS FROM CNN OVER UNPROFESSIONAL REPORTAGE OF LEKKI TOLLGATE INCIDENT OF OCT 20, 2020

Our attention has been drawn to a November 26, 2020 tweet by CNN purportedly clarifying an October 23 tweet issued by the media organisation. The initial tweet read in part: “At least 38 people were killed in Nigeria on Tuesday when the military opened fire on peaceful protesters.”

For CNN to come out more than a month later to issue a “clarification” claiming that the original tweet “did not make it clear that the death toll was for protests across the country” is grossly disingenuous and disappointing, and further evidence of our argument that CNN has been less than ethical and professional in covering and reporting the ENDSARS protests in Nigeria.

For a supposedly respectable news organisation like CNN to think such a terse and unapologetic “clarification” is enough, is frankly disturbing.

It is also not in keeping with CNN’s standard practice when it makes editorial and reportorial errors in the course of its work. In August 2019, CNN tendered an unreserved apology for an “erroneous” headline on its website by its Hong Kong Bureau regarding the protests in Hong Kong.

Prior to that, in June 2017, CNN was compelled to retract and apologize a story on its website that falsely reported regarding a former US Presidential aide. CNN also went ahead, following that widely reported embarrassment, to implement new guidelines on its coverage of Russia.

There is no doubt that, following the false tweet on October 23 by CNN, there was a deterioration of the security situation in Nigeria. The country was pushed deeper into anarchy, carnage and lawlessness, forcing one to wonder whether the global news giant has a vested interest in precipitating the destabilization of Nigeria with its unverified, irresponsible and sensational reporting of events.

Following its poor reporting on the protests in Nigeria, CNN should at the very least offer a full and unreserved apology for, and retraction of, the misleading reporting encapsulated in the October 23, 2020 tweet. A mere clarification will not suffice.

We would also like to recommend that CNN go ahead to institute stricter journalistic guidelines regarding its coverage of the ENDSARS protests in Nigeria. For example, these new guidelines should endeavour to embed in CNN's subsequent reporting an acknowledgement of the fact that 37 Nigerian police officers and 6 soldiers were murdered by mobs of violent protesters across the country during and in the immediate aftermath of the ENDSARS protests.

CNN’s deliberate omission of these incontestable facts, combined with its insistence on stubbornly amplifying a host of unverified and indefensible narratives, truly give cause for concern to all who understand the significance of the narrative-shaping role of credible journalism in the 21st century. This role is one that must always be fulfilled with the utmost sense of respect for truth, fairness and objectivity, and CNN and its journalism cannot afford to be an exception in any guise.

Rotimi Ogunwuyi Esq
National Coordinator,
Lagos
27th Nov. 2020.

Useless paid group !

November1857:
Useless paid group !

We are selling handkerchief at an affordable price ooo... Bucket also dey as well..

November1857:
Useless paid group !

Useless because they are proud of their country, while you are hopeless because any bad news about your country gives you joy. Sadist

CNN WILL APOLOGIZE TO NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT IN A PRIVATE LETTER.

THEY WON'T APOLOGIZE IN PUBLIC SO THAT THEY CAN SAVE FACE

helinues:


We are selling handkerchief at an affordable price ooo... Bucket also dey as well..

What do you need them for?

helinues:


We are selling handkerchief at an affordable price ooo... Bucket also dey as well..

What do you need them for?
What do you need them for

Ahan.


this party is getting interesting lets see where this ends.

thebosstrevor1:
CNN WILL APOLOGIZE TO NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT IN A PRIVATE LETTER.

THEY WON'T APOLOGIZE IN PUBLIC SO THAT THEY CAN SAVE FACE

In a tweet today, they accepted making mistake in their account of Endsars report. CNN is a scam

thebosstrevor1:
CNN WILL APOLOGIZE TO NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT IN A PRIVATE LETTER.

THEY WON'T APOLOGIZE IN PUBLIC SO THAT THEY CAN SAVE FACE

this is deep.

IsaacAdetunji1:

Useless because they are proud of their country, while you are hopeless because any bad news about your country gives you joy. Sadist

proud of shithole , backwards under develop country Abi,
A country that is killing her citizens at any given opportunity, even those who held her National flag and sang her national anthem were not spare !

Can you imagine United States killing citizens who hold her national flag..

At the end the whole world will make mockery of this useless administration

Maybe to them, Nigeria is not worth apologising to (as per how low they have stooped) or maybe there shouldn't be an apology in the first place. I really don't get the big baby attention seeking attitude. There are millions of other salient issues to attend to in Nigeria.

helinues:


We are selling handkerchief at an affordable price ooo... Bucket also dey as well..

Save the hankerchief and buckets for zombies.

Kolisky:
Lai Mohammed right now

He remain the singular problem of wailer.... Great Lai

November1857:
proud of shithole , backwards under develop country Abi,
A country that is killing her citizens at any given opportunity, even those who held her National flag and song her national anthem were not spare !

Can you imagine United States killing citizens who hold her national flag..

But you live in Nigeria.

helinues:


We are selling handkerchief at an affordable price ooo... Bucket also dey as well..

Cry Because of this shithole Abi !
First world countries like Russia and China never make us cry, e come be this shithole !

November1857:
Cry Because of this shithole Abi !
First world countries like Russia and China never make us cry, e come be this shithole !

Relocate to China now or Niger republic

IsaacAdetunji1:




You will keep selling this lie to slowpoke like you, we have challenged you for a whole month to bring any evidence of killing in Lekki or bring family of anyone that lost their loves once, still you keep swimming in the pool of your own foolishness. I wish you well in your hate against your own countey

you're one of the gullible ...

helinues:


We are selling handkerchief at an affordable price ooo... Bucket also dey as well..

With the amount of crying and wailing going on all over the place, this sounds like a very lucrative business..