World Press Freedom Day is a day set aside by the United Nations Organisation’s General Assembly to carefully x-ray issues pertinent to ensuring, protecting and safeguarding the press against the excesses of overzealous powers. It first started in 1993 following the recommendation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Since then, World Press Freedom Day is being celebrated on May 3rd every year.
This year, the day is being celebrated under the theme: Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression As a Driver For All Other Human Rights adequately captures prevalent issues clamping on freedom of expression in the face of a rise in the proliferation of independent media around the world; digital growth in technologies which democratise flow and access to information, thus paving way for a rise in the spread of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and fake news and online and physical attack on journalists.
The agony remains that while there is an increased flow of information on one hand, there is an increased attack on journalists and freedom of expression which clamp on the attainment of other fundamental human rights and entrenchment of democratic principles, a sine qua non to safeguarding freedom of expression. Journalists and media workers continued to be attacked despite operating in societies that claimed to be democratic but prove to be undemocratic in relating with the press.
For instance, in 2022, a report by Committee to Protect Journalists indicates that 67 journalists and media workers were killed all over the world. The figure represents a 50 percent increase compared to the number of journalists killed in 2021. The war in Ukraine, Mexico and Haiti accounts for the chunk share of journalists slain in 2022. Similarly, the report further indicates that 363 journalists were jailed globally with 56 of the jailed reporters coming from Africa, mainly Egypt.
In Nigeria, 42 journalists were attacked, detained, harassed and denied access while covering the 2023 general elections. Notable among the victims was the Executive Director of the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Mr Dayo Aiyetan and the Publisher of WikkiTimes, Mr Haruna Mohammed Salisu. This is not healthy for our baby democracy especially coming around elections, which is a cardinal process in democratic parlance.
Therefore, government and Civil Society Organisations must rise up to the occasion to protect our democracy by protecting the freedom of expression and safety of journalists to be able to overcome shared national challenges of insecurity, poverty, and unemployment, among others.
Police and other security agencies in the country must not allow themselves to be used by wretched politicians and other powerful individuals to harass or intimidate innocent journalists for carrying out their legitimate job guaranteed by section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
On the other hand, there is a compelling need for all members of the pen profession to know that working against ethics as the mirror of society is totally a variance of the law. Hence they must avoid misinformation and being manipulated by corrupt politicians so as to hold those in power to account for their actions or inactions in all ramifications towards building a united and viral nation where all will be free.
As a former US President, Thomas Jefferson rightly said, “The only security of all is in a free press.” Journalists and other media workers must first have a sense of security – physical, social and economic – to freely do their legitimate duties to ensure all Nigerians are secured.
