On May 3 countries around the world marked the World Press Freedom Day; a day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate and evaluate the exercise of press freedom. Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, writes as Nigeria joined the rest of the world in marking the day.
Every May 3 is a date set aside to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. The date was declared World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, following a recommendation adopted at the 26th session of United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)’s General Conference in 1991.
The occasion serves to inform citizens of violations of press freedom. It is a reminder that in many countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.
It is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide. It serves as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and it is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.
More importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint or abolition of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
The 2015 edition which was marked penultimate Sunday has its theme as ‘Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, and Safety in the Digital Age’.
This year, CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, was named the ‘Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of Expression and Journalists’ Safety’ by UNESCO, an agency of the United Nations assigned to promote and protect press freedom worldwide. UNESCO focused on three subjects for 2015 World Press Freedom Day: quality journalism, gender imbalance and digital safety.
Quality journalism connotes that accurate and independent reporting remains a constant concern in a media landscape that is changing due to technological and commercial developments.
Gender imbalance has continued in the media 20 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Change, as few women journalists have been able to reach decision-making positions in the media.
Digital safety is a topic of growing concern because digital communications makes it difficult for journalists to protect themselves and their sources.
The winner and hero of 2015 annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize ceremony held at the National Library of Latvia in Riga is a Syrian journalist and human rights activist, Mazen Darwish, who is currently imprisoned.
In a joint message to mark the occasion, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon; the Director-General of the UNESCO, Irina Bokova; and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein; observed that “quality journalism enables citizens to make informed decisions about their society’s development” while also working “to expose injustice, corruption and the abuse of power”.
“For peace to be lasting and development to be sustainable, human rights must be respected.
“Everyone must be free to seek, receive and impart knowledge and information on all media, online and offline.
“We need every voice to speak out and be heard, especially those of women. Twenty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, women remain under-represented throughout the media, at decision-making level but also in the coverage of issues.
“We cannot let this stand. Men and women must participate equally in making and sharing the news,” the UN officials declared in their statements.
Mr. Ki-moon, Ms. Bokova and Mr. Al-Hussein emphasised the troubling scenario of violence and insecurity in which thousands of journalists operate every day, noting that at least one journalist is killed each week in both conflict and non-conflict zones.
In their joint statement, they declared: “Journalism must be able to thrive in an enabling environment in which they (practitioners) can work independently and without undue interference and in conditions of safety. This is our message today; to let journalism thrive!”
But in his separate message to mark the World Press Day, Ki-moon noted that around the globe, journalists are attacked every day as they try to carry out their work, adding that last year alone, about 61 journalists were reported killed. He lamented that more journalists languishing in jails without charges or any sign of due process are the victims of governments and others that prohibit free inquiry and use the power of the state to intimidate the press.
“As we mark World Press Freedom Day this year, let us honour the memory of those who lost their lives, and intensify our efforts to uphold the fundamental human right to freedom of expression and press freedom,” Ki-moon said, adding that this year’s theme emphasised the importance of ensuring a free and pluralistic media against the backdrop of a fast-paced and ever-changing digital world.
According to him, digital technology has been exploited to spread hate speech or incite violence, adding however that it is also a force for good, bringing people together in a global conversation about how to build a better world. In particular, he maintained, digital technology can have a positive impact as leaders strive this year to formulate an ambitious agenda to advance sustainable development for years to come.
Said Ki-moon: “Thriving journalism, whether in digital or more traditional form, must be anchored on quality reporting and information dissemination to all segments of society. Women play a critical, but far too neglected, role in today’s media landscape.”
The UN scribe, used the occasion to call on all governments, societies and individuals to uphold the principles put forward by member states on the need for free exchange of information and ideas, both within and among nations.
“We must commit to ensure that the safety and rights of journalists are protected, independent of the political, socio-economic or cultural pressures that may threaten, impede or deter their freedom to keep the world informed,” he declared.
In Nigeria, it’s election review
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to mark the day, organised a programme in Katsina where it evaluated the performance of the press during the last general elections.
According to the Lagos State NUJ chairman, Deji Elumoye, the media performed above average during the campaigns, elections and after elections. He noted that all the parties, both big and small, were given fair coverage and hearing, particularly on the area of political debates.
He said the national council of the union was satisfied with the conduct of the media in withholding the results of the election until officially announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that no media ran foul of the law in that area.
The occasion was also used to remember journalists who lost their lives in the performance of their professional duties, including the national financial secretary of the union, Adolphous Okonkwo; Kafayat Odunsi of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Victoria Island; and the chairman of Radio Nigeria, Ibadan Network Centre of the NUJ, Tunde Oluwanike. They lost their lives in an auto crash while they were returning to Lagos from Abuja. Some of the occupants of the NUJ Lagos State Council bus sustained injuries.
Other journalists that lost their lives in the course of performing their professional duties are Fabian Ozor, Joseph Sesebo, John Langley and Anayo Korie all of Daily Independent. Others include Toyin Obadina of Daily Newswatch, Dafe Onojowho of the National Mirror, Enenche Akogwu of Channels Television and Abayomi Ogundeji, former editor of the defunct Sunday Comet, to mention just a few.
Speaking on the welfare of journalists, Elumoye regretted that journalists are poorly remunerated. “Journalists are poorly paid. The salaries are not even paid; they are owed salaries for months. Most of the media houses do not pay well and not even regular.”
The council, he said, has already made a case for salary structure for journalists to the federal government.
“We will be campaigning and canvassing for a salary structure for journalists until we succeed. The government has referred the council to National Wages and Salary Commission. The NUJ has taken it up. We should have our salary structure as is obtainable in the civil service or Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT). We are doing everything possible to ensure that journalists are well taken care of,” he added.
Fielding questions on the implementation and compliance of the Freedom of Information (FOI) law passed by the National Assembly, Elumoye said the provisions of the law, which encouraged bureacracy and delays in obtaining the required information, has made it difficult for journalists to benefit from the law.
His words: “If an information is needed, you will be required to apply for it. Thereafter, the letter will be passing from one table to another for approval before the information is finally released. Journalists cannot wait for so much time because of deadline.”
The application to obtain information and the delays that accompany it discourage journalists. However, he disclosed that the council has made case for the review of the law because it is not only for journalists but for other individuals and groups as well.
The Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Edetaen Ojo, while commenting the performance of the press, said it has generally improved from what it was, adding that the political environment has added a new dimension to the press.
Assessing the performance of the press during last general election, Ojo said a few of them were quite professional while most of them, particularly the ones owned by politicians, were partisan. “Some were good and some were bad,” he said, pointing out that “a major challenge to be addressed is the professional standard”.
He said the press is relatively free now from government interference or censorship due to the current political climate, but added that most private owners of media tend to censor their media outfits. He advised owners of the media to give journalists free hand to operate.