Lai Mohammed: Sensational Headlines Influenced Public Perception During #EndSARS

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has denounced sensational and misleading media headlines for the controversy that trailed the #EndSARS protests. He said exaggerated reporting deepened public misunderstanding of events.

He spoke in Abuja during a reading of his latest book, ‘Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration’.

Mohammed said the influence of headlines had grown significantly in the era of digital and social media, warning that many Nigerians now form opinions based solely on headlines without reading the full reports.

“The powers of headlines are so enormous.

“Unfortunately, these days, with the new technology and new media, the attention span of the average citizen has shrunk.”

“The average Nigerian today doesn’t want to read any document. He runs away with the headlines, but the headlines don’t always tell the story,” Mohammed said.

The former minister said media programmes that focus primarily on headlines have worsened the situation, as audiences often draw conclusions without understanding the broader context of events.

“Most people run away with the headline without even getting to the story itself,” he said.

Mohammed specifically cited media coverage following the #EndSARS protests, arguing that headlines published after the protest was dispersed by soldiers contributed to the controversy that followed.

“And it was these same headlines that made the EndSARS protest so controversial,” he stated.

“Because the day after the protest was dispersed by the soldiers, the headlines were ‘massacre at the toll gate’.”

“They were giving various numbers, some said 100, some said 60, some said 40.”

He criticised what he described as a culture of sharing unverified information, particularly on social media platforms.

“Unfortunately, in Nigeria today, you send a story, nobody bothers to verify, they share,” he said.

Mohammed concluded that while headlines are an essential part of journalism, they can distort public perception when not properly contextualised, urging media practitioners and the public alike to prioritise accuracy and verification over sensationalism.

He also renewed the call for the regulation of social media to prevent harm to individuals and society.