Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Katsina has expressed concern over what he described as increasing persecution of journalists who speak the truth.

Speaking to ACI Africa on the sidelines of activities marking the 60th World Day of Communications (WDC) organized by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Bishop Musa said media practitioners remain among the most endangered voices in society.

“Journalists in Nigeria are being persecuted for showing their faces and speaking the truth,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop said during the May 17 interview.

He reiterated, “We have journalists who show their faces, speak the truth, and enlighten the public, and they are persecuted. We have journalists who have disappeared mysteriously. We have journalists who have been killed.”

For him, “The Church must continue to honour media professionals who risk their lives in the service of truth and the Gospel message.”

Bishop Musa said World Communications Day should also serve as a moment to remember journalists who remain “constantly persecuted” for defending truth and the national conscience.

The Chair of the Commission for Communications of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) acknowledged that many Nigerian journalists and communication professionals continue to uphold moral, cultural, and religious values despite mounting challenges.

“Nigerian media upholding national values, we can say that in many ways they do their best in upholding what is true, in upholding what is charitable, and in upholding our very positive cultural and religious values,” he told ACI Africa on May 17, the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the same time, Bishop Musa warned against the misuse of digital communication platforms, saying untrained and irresponsible actors are contributing to misinformation and negative influence, especially among young people.

“There are misguided people, there are untrained people, there are people who are unskilled in using media technology. Some people are negative influencers; some people influence society, and particularly the young people, negatively,” he lamented.

The Catholic Bishop emphasized that media practitioners have a responsibility not only to report events but also to help correct societal wrongs.

“The media is motivated by what is wrong. That is to say, the media looks at our society, judges what is happening, and is ready to correct the many wrong things that are going on in our society,” Bishop Musa said.

Addressing the impact of digital communication on children and youth, the pioneer Catholic Bishop of Katsina Diocese Consecrated in December 2023 urged young people to develop critical thinking skills to distinguish truth from misinformation.

“We know that young people, children, and youth are impressionable,” he said, adding, “Most of the time, they are influenced by what they read and what they see. Most of the time, they find it difficult to differentiate between fantasy and reality.”

“With the many forms of misinformation that we have, young people have to have critical minds, minds that enable them to differentiate between truth and fantasy, between misinformation and truth itself,” Bishop Musa added.

He also called for the responsible use of digital technologies to promote truth and evangelization.

“But the Church continues to advise us, especially on a day like this, to use all these digital technologies positively to enlighten society, to propagate the Gospel message, to inform, and to enlighten the public,” he said.

In a separate interview during the May 17 event, the CSN Secretary General, Fr. Michael Banjo, urged journalists and media practitioners to defend truth and promote responsible communication ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.

“Elections are not merely about political parties, candidates, or winning power. They are about people, their hopes, fears, aspirations, and future,” Fr. Banjo told ACI Africa.

He warned against fake results, manipulated videos, hate speech, vote-buying, and political intimidation, and urged citizens to vote according to conscience and the common good.