Bagauda Kaltho Media Lecture: Stakeholders canvass safe space for journalists
Stakeholders have canvassed for safe space for journalists in order to get help, legal and professional support.
This was part of resolutions in a communiquè commemorating fifth Bagauda Kaltho media lecture held via zoom which was signed by Sola Ojo, of The Sun Newspaper in Nigeria; Thibilisse Nkurunziza, Shikiriza Newspaper in Burundi; and Boi Beatrice Kenneh, Freetown Media Centre Sierra Leone.
The theme of the lecture for this year was
Press Freedom Laws and Policies in Africa: Upholding or undermining journalism practice” and was anchored by the Faculty Head, Kaduna Media Academy, Kaduna Northwest Nigeria, Ahmed Balarabe Sa’id.
Organised by the Africa Media Development Foundation, to immortalise James Baguada Kaltho, Nigerian journalist who disappeared between late 1996 and early 1997 because of his journalism work. Until his disappearance, he was a courageous and fearless investigative journalist.
The three Discussants were journalists from Nigeria, Burundi and Somalia; with Participants from across Nigeria and other African countries including Ghana and Sierra Leone.
According to the trip, In Africa, many areas of journalism have been criminalised in countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania with the adoption of cybercrime laws which have been employed by State actors to silence critical journalists and content producers.
“Several of these countries including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria have nearly doubled their laws on misinformation since 2016.
“Killers of journalists in countries like Somalia, Burundi,DR Congo and Nigeria are rarely brought to book.
“Journalists especially investigative ones in Burundi work in fear to avoid either being harassed, attacked, or jailed. As a result, Burundi has been trying to rearrange the way the media works.
“Press Freedom is a pillar of any democratic society because it shapes public opinion thereby empowering them. It also helps put leaders in check.
“There are a lot of ambiguities in the press regulation laws (Nigerian Press Council and National Broadcasting Commission) in Nigeria, leading to the interpretation of the same laws differently.
“Attacks on journalists and media organisations in Nigeria are on the increase by ways of victimisation, gadget seizure, and destruction especially during elections.
“The safety and security of journalists are very important not only in Nigeria but across the globe,” the partly said.
The Resolutions partly read, “From the foregoing, there is a need for dedicated laws that will protect journalists to make them perform their constitutionally provided responsibility.
“Provision of a Safe Space for journalists to access help, legal or professional support.
“Journalists’ capacity should be built around the issues they report.
“There is a need to strike a balance between press freedom, press regulation, and responsible press journalism if journalism should fulfill its responsibility of protecting the national interest.
“A free and responsible press is possible if self-regulation is strengthened. Need to develop and enforce a code of ethics and legal reforms that will address the ambiguity of laws.
“In the face of citizen journalism, media literacy should be promoted to help citizens evaluate their thoughts, ideas, knowledge, etc. before going public.
“Journalists must work in synergy to form a formidable force in such a way that their tormentors would think about the consequences of their actions if they attempt to harass a journalist or weaponising related laws against journalists.
“There is a need for an international platform that will make lawyers available for journalists and media organisations that are being or may be persecuted unlawfully.
“Journalists who understand how press freedom could help in doing their work better should participate in lawmaking either by becoming lawmakers or through lobbying, to review some of the existing laws being used against journalists.”
