The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) will hold a Press Freedom Manual Launch in commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day in Abuja today.
With the topic “State Surveillance and Threats to Journalism Practice in the 21st Century,” media experts will extensively discuss policies and conditions stifling free and safe press in the country.
The event, in partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), a political foundation funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), will also explore possible solutions to these constraints against the profession at large in the current dispensation.
The book launch is a commendable extension of the 2022 UN theme in celebration of the profession at large. The body, in December 1993, pronounced May 3 in celebration of World Press Freedom Day and tagged this year’s theme “Journalism under siege.”
According to the CJID, the aim of the training manual is to deepen the public’s understanding of press freedom and its challenges in Nigeria both under the military and democratic regimes. It also explores the various historic attempts at restoring the dignity of the press in Nigeria and the newfound primacy of digital rights in the press freedom discourse for the 21st Century.
The Acting Executive Director of CJID, Tobi Oluwatola, in a statement, said “the West African region in the last few years has witnessed a troubling decline into authoritarian regimes, including successful coup d’etats and a shrinking civic space even in ostensibly democratic states.
“The press freedom manual highlights the dangers of such repressive societies and provides tools for reversing the trend. CJID is humbled to lead this charge with the production of this piece which is sure to be required reading for all journalism education in the region.”
PREMIUM TIMES will be bringing you highlights from the event as participants witness the unveiling of another masterpiece in the fight for press freedom.
Marija Peran, the Deputy Resident Representative of KAS, in her opening remarks, noted the organisation’s contributions to good governance and democratic principles of Nigeria since its establishment in the country 20 years ago.
She said programmes such as the launch of the Press Freedom manual for journalists are highly important in a time like this for the profession.
“As part of our efforts to strengthen the,democratic rule in Nigeria, we have been supporting press freedom for years now in Nigeria with several relevant programmes.
“The programmes are public reminders at this point today, are not only interesting, they are important in these times and unfortunately still necessary.
“The 3rd of May serves as a reminder to the government of the need to respect efforts towards press freedom and also a day for reflection for media professionals on the issues on press freedom,” she said.
11:35 a.m: The President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, in his remarks, said the union is more worried that the country is sinking in the global index of press freedom rather than improving.
He described journalism as the life wire of every working democracy, which, unfortunately, is not getting the respect it deserves from the current administration.
Mr Isiguzo called on the government to set a salary structure for media personnel that can address the core challenges faced by journalists.
10:54 a.m: Chidi Odinkalu, a professor of International Human Rights Law and practice, at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, Massachusetts, in his keynote address, said the concerns raised in the book are global.
“Something as universal as free expression is presented as a western idea. It is not western.
“Telling an African village man that free expression was invented by Socrates is like telling us that Mungo Park discovered the Niger,” Mr Odinkalu told participants who joined the discussion from different parts of the world.
11:21 a.m: Mr Odinkalu condemned the current administration’s role in peddling misinformation and digital war against media platforms that are effectively playing their roles.
As he reviewed the manual, he said the book should be updated to further reflect the African dynamism of expression.
In her goodwill message shortly after the welcome address of the acting Executive Director of CJID, Tobi Oluwatobi, the Manager, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), Toyosi Giwa, commended the organisation for its role in the role in the struggle for press freedom.
She said the reality of what journalists are facing in Nigeria is not an encouraging one. She said the situation is dire, challenging and difficult.
Mrs Giwa encouraged journalists to continue to hold the government and other relevant persons accountable for their actions and inactions.
Onyinye Madu represented the French Embassy.
She reiterated why press freedom is important. Ms Madu said France has unwavering support for press freedom, as evidenced in its yearly financial contributions to the profession yearly.
Reviewing the book, Victor Ayedun, a professor at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Jos, opened his presentation by taking participants through global indexes on press freedom side-by-side with the abysmal performance of Nigeria.
He said the book sets ideological tones and ideas needed to give press freedom a needed phenomenon across the world.
The professor described the writers of the six modules’ book as highly skilled and experienced journalists and writers within and outside Nigeria.
“This book will be found useful by researchers and students and scholars of comparative media studies,” he said.
The Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times, Musikilu Mojeed, unveiled the book.
He said the book took five years to produce, a duration that reflects the carefulness and the amount of effort that went into the book.
The CJID noted that the book is free and will be distributed accordingly.
12:06 p.m: The event’s anchor, Stephanie Adams-Douglas, invited panelists to the podium to discuss “State Surveillance and Threats to Journalism in the 21st Century.”
The panellists include Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times; Onwuka Okereke, a lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Abia State University; Tunde Akanni, an Associate Professor of Communication, LASU; Mojirayo Ogunalana-Nkanga, Gender and Human Rights Advocates and Hamza Idris, GM MEGA FM, Warri.
He said the book took five years to produce, a duration that reflects the carefulness and the amount of effort that went into the book.
The CJID noted that the book is free and will be distributed accordingly.
The session is being moderated by Nkem Agunwa, Project Coordinator, Africa at WITNESS.
12:20 p.m: One of the panellists, Sola Olorunyomi, narrated his near-death experience at the hands of the Nigerian military for just being affiliated with a media personality, his brother, Dapo Olorunyomi.
12:23 p.m: Mr Mojeed did not outrightly dismiss surveillance on journalists by the government but condemned the manner and illegality in which they go about it.
He talked about the effects of Internet trolls on journalism and that the media is one of the biggest dangers to journalists in recent times.
12:24 p.m: Mr Mojeed recalled when the military invaded Daily Trust some years ago and how they took away about 24 computers and they did not return it until seven weeks later.
“The computers were probably scanned, what messages are held in there, who is talking to who and documents in there.
“If you go through the budget of the Nigerian government, the government is spending so much money acquiring surveillance equipment.
“It is not totally negative, considering the insecurity being faced in the country today. But the way it is being deployed is dangerous,” Mr Mojeed said, during the panel discussion.
12:34 p.m: Mr Akanni touched on the globalisation of journalism and laws.
“Government has as much as resources to hack into anyone’s private transmission of messages so it becomes easy for them to tell you that you attempt to reach someone.
“In some countries, some facilities provided by WhatsApp or Facebook are not allowed to function.
“In Dubai, Saudi Arabia, you cannot make WhatsApp calls.
“No section or organisation within the media industry is entitled to the membership of the cybercrime advisory Council. Those who dominate that council don’t have what media scholars and journalists deem to be entitled for media professionals,” the LASU communication associate professor noted.
Speaking on the solution to the challenges before journalists in the country, Ogunlana Nkanga, a lawyer, said we need to apply more force.
She lamented the lack of independence of the judiciary, an arm that ought to defend what the press stands for.
“We need judges and journalists who can be bold enough to go against the government. We need to keep up with strategic litigations,” she said, while admitting the risks the profession is facing in the country.
12:44 p.m: Wrapping up her session, Ms Ogunlana-Nkanga, concluded that no one will fight for the media if its practitioners fail to fight for themselves.
“Journalists should keep talking because they are the ones that can fight for themselves.
“As champions of freedom of expression, we won’t be able to go far if the media cannot fight for itself,” she concluded.
12:51 p.m: Mr Okereke, speaking on the nexus between the practice of good journalism and the law, recalled the Watergate scandal in the US where the Republicans wire-tapped the Democrat party’s Hall.
“It took the judge taking bold action to tell (the then U.S. President) Richard Nixon, that he had to surrender the tapes as the property of the American people,” he said during the session.
Ms Umukoro cautioned journalists against giving the executives a god-like status.
She said it is high time we demystified that mentality to redeem our image as opinion shapers and give the profession its deserved status.
She challenged the NUJ to live up to its expectations in the media space rather than be used as a tool in the hands of politicians.
“Going forward, we should take action. To NUJ and NAWOJ, what we represent now is beyond it. We need persons in those positions of leadership to be more than going to Kenya or the US.
“SERAP is doing something, and that is where the conversation is. Let’s learn the power of collaboration and amplify our conversation,” Ms Umukoro said.
Mr Olorunyomi raised the need for a reorientation among the youth in lecture halls across schools of learning.
He lamented the shift in the concentration of the youth on learning.
1:10 p.m: Parting words from the panellists
Mr Okereke, in his parting words, said the training should be taken beyond Abuja. He thanked the CJID for the opportunity to speak at the event.
Mr Akanni briefly spoke about freedom of the press, which has now been hijacked by the rich. He referenced the recent takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk, a platform previously referred to as for the masses.
Ms Ogunlana-Nkanga, said the surveillance of journalists will stifle the truth and the populace should not allow it to stay.
“If we stay back, we will be giving power to people who have the financial power to buy our opinion. I can’t freely express myself on Facebook without being flagged by Mark Zuckerberg.
“The right to speak my mind is my right to life,” she said in her closing remarks.
Sola Olorunyomi applauded the panellists for breathing more life into some issues addressed in the press freedom manual launched by CJID.
Mr Idris said we have become more exposed to surveillance through advancements in technology but encouraged journalists to continue to learn to speak from the position of strength.
Mr Mojeed, adding to the last speaker’s comment, said surveillance will not stop as technology gets more sophisticated.
Journalists rely more on technology these days than ever.
“Journalists must continue to take precautions and gradually boycott phone conversations with sources,” Mr Mojeed cautioned.
Ms Umukoro said there is a wide gap of such conversations in the Niger-Delta region and urged the CJID to extend this to that region.
“We need to claim that space. Politics determines the quality of media. We should not leave politics to those who are not professionals of the politics business,” she concluded.
Ms Agunwa closed the panellists’ session at exactly 1:27 p.m.
1:33 p.m: Busola Ajibola, on behalf of the acting Executive Director of CJID, gave the vote of thanks to all the authors, panellists, staff and participants who made the event a success.
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