For the records: Communique of a one-day stakeholders’ forum on journalists’ safety

Communique of a one-day stakeholders’ forum on journalists’ safety and protecting freedom of expression in the age of misinformation and disinformation and public presentation of 2022 report on state of attacks on journalists held on Friday, May 5, 2023 at Kakanfo Inn and  Conference Centre, Ibadan.

Preamble

The International Press Centre, (IPC) Lagos-Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (West Zone) and the Oyo State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists held a Stakeholders’ Forum on Journalists’ Safety and Protecting Freedom of Expression in the Age of Misinformation & Disinformation on Friday May 5, 2023 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The forum was in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day (marked May 3rd every year) and marked a continuation of IPC’s commitment to deepening engagement and consultations with media and relevant stakeholders on approaches for guaranteeing the safety of Nigerian journalists including the improvement of their welfare.

Supported by the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the forum was attended by Editors, journalists and other media professionals from the print, broadcast and online media; representatives of media professional bodies and the academia. Present were the Chairman of Oyo NUJ, Mr. Demola Babalola; Vice -President (West Zone) of the NGE, Mr. Bolaji Adebiyi; Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, JABU, Osun State, Professor Tokunbo Adaja and Chairperson of Oyo State chapter of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Mrs. Jadesola Ajibola.

Prior to the keynote address by Prof. Adaja and the discussions, the Executive Director of IPC unveiled the organisation’s new initiative – the IPC Centre for Safety & Protection of Journalists (I-CSPJ), disclosing that the Centre will improve on the documentation of attacks on journalists and the media, engage in specialised capacity building for journalists, support advocacy measures to promote press freedom and facilitate interface with law enforcement and security agencies. The Centre will also embark on research, documentation and publication of resource materials to improve awareness on the imperative of safety for journalists and their protection.

Mr. Arogundade said the Centre would help catalyse greater partnership, collaboration, networking, and solidarity in seeking justice for journalists who face the violation of their rights.

The stakeholders welcomed the initiative and pledged to be part of its activities.

Presentations

A key highlight of the roundtable was the public presentation of the report on the state of attacks on journalists and other media professionals in Nigeria for the year 2022, which revealed that they continue to be endangered species since more attacks were witnessed than in the previous year.  The monitoring of attacks on journalists in Nigeria is a component of a three-year project on Safety Awareness, Impactful Reporting of Communities and Improved Institutional Capacity being implemented by International Press Centre (IPC) in partnership with OSF.

Presenting the report, the Press Freedom and Safety Alert Desk Officer of IPC, Melody Akinjiyan, disclosed that no fewer than sixty-six (66) attacks on journalists and three (3) attacks on media outlets were reported and documented in 2022.

According to Akinjiyan, the presentation of the report was in continuation of efforts aimed at highlighting the prevailing challenges relating to the safety of journalists with the aim of improving the campaigns and advocacy for a conducive environment for journalism practice.

The report called on journalists to demonstrate greater sense of solidarity in dealing with attacks on the media and fellow practitioners. The report emphasised that the sharing of information relating to similar experiences and circumstances of attacks by journalists and victims could be useful for interrogating and overcoming the factors that make journalists vulnerable to victimization.

The report especially urged umbrella media professional bodies and the civil society to demand accountability for the safety of journalists and media outlets through renewed engagements at institutional and legislative levels.

The presentation of the report was followed by the keynote address by Professor Tokunbo Adaja, the Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State on the theme of the forum: ‘Protecting Freedom of Expression in the Age of Misinformation and Disinformation’. Prof. Adaja submitted that, “Legislating against Freedom of Expression, for whatever reason, will ultimately become counterproductive, in the sense that, it negates fundamental human rights as enshrined in our constitution and other international and regional treaties or declarations.”

“We are in a free world, and as such, people must be free to generate ideas and impart ideas for the benefit and development of mankind. Any ‘seemingly’ fake news, misinformation or disinformation must be promptly corrected by the concerned person, group, organisation or government. We should allow ideas to interact freely, genuine ideas will drive out fake ideas (Libertarian theory)”, he stressed further.

He therefore charged content creators and content consumers to be sufficiently educated so that they can easily identify fake news by way of misinformation or disinformation. He also called for awareness among the citizenry on the destructive nature as well as the consequences of fake news, misinformation and disinformation.

Observations

The participants observed that: The report on the state of attacks on journalists in 2022 reflects a worsening situation, which in turn indicates the deterioration of the security and economic situation in the country;

The non-payment of journalists’ salaries is a major safety and press freedom issue as it represents psychological and economic assault on them; Journalists that are owed salaries are susceptible to engaging in unethical practices; Most media establishments do not have in place safety policies and measures including but not limited to insurance policies and in-house safety equipment;

Recommendations

In view of the observations, the participants recommended that: Journalists should remain courageous despite the attacks but pay greater attention to their wellbeing by imbibing the principles of safety consciousness;

The media should collectively highlight attacks on journalists and do the appropriate follow up until the culprits are apprehended and brought to justice; Journalists should strive to report factually and truthfully and steer clear of publishing misleading information or fake news which could put them at the risk of attacks;

Media organisations should have safety and security policies that encompass provision of safety kits, insurance cover and regular drills through simulated emergencies to better prepare their employees should they become reality;

Journalists should familiarize themselves with the duties of security operatives, especially as regards protection of VIPs like the President and State Governors to prevent clashes with security agents; There should be regular trainings and retraining for journalists on safety consciousness and security online and offline;

Measures should be put in place to determine and recognise who a professional journalist is to prevent the profession from becoming an all comer’s affair; There should be regular engagements with law enforcement and security agencies and other duty bearers to address the safety of journalists and other media professionals; and Media support groups like International Press Centre should continue to prioritise the safety of journalists and capacity building on good journalism.

Signed

Melody Akinjiyan

Press Freedom Officer International Press Centre (IPC)

FOOTNOTE: You want to share story with us? You want to advertise with us? You need publicity for product, or service, or   event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348073463653 or email [email protected]