World Press Freedom Day: Nigeria Media Laments Decline In Freedom

World Press Freedom Day: Nigeria Media Laments Decline In Freedom By Our Reporter Media outlets and advocacy groups in Nigeria mark the 2021 anniversary of World Press Freedom Day with complaints about what they see as a decline in the level of press freedom over the past year. Some point to increasing dangers faced by journalists and new reporting restrictions, such as those recently introduced in Nigeria by the NBC. The proportion of the world's population living in societies with a fully free press has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade, according to a report by the Washington-based advocacy group, Freedom House. Three renowned Nigerian journalists and broadcasters, meanwhile condemned the challenges faced while carrying out their legit duties, to what they describe as their "legitimate role" in offering free access to media and coverage of events. The Publisher, BSN Sports, Niyi Busari, said he has been taken to Court, detained by the State Security Service (DSS) over a report on the Nigeria Football Federation that has nothing to do with security issue, harassed and attacked by administrators and Journalists, chased out of media briefing for objective reporting. "Nigeria is not yet there for objective reporting. I was charged to court by the Nigeria Football Federation for a report in 2018 over non-payment of Nigeria U20 Women's National Team. I was harassed and chased out of a media briefing by the aides of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare during the just-concluded 2020 National Sports Festival at the Protea Hotel, Benin City, Edo State. Abiola Shodiya, a famous broadcaster on Nigeria Info, Abuja, added his voice, he said: "Journalist in Nigeria do not have the best atmosphere to carry out their job. They are not usually considered as important part of the agenda. Journalist are only used as a tool for promotion of policies, events etcetera. And not necessarily given the liberty to do a fact finding journalistic duty. Intimidation and harassment are the ways by which administrators shut down journalists from carrying out their legitimate job. He added: "Intimidation and suppression of journalist affects good governance because it deny the general public opportunity to know the facts which could inform or shape their opinion. It also affects good governance because it let's corruption thrive which is the bane of social political development." He advised that despite the challenges they must uphold the tenets of their profession. "Journalist must uphold the tenets of their profession by not giving in to inducement and harassment. More so, journalist must stay united by working collaboratively if they are to propagate facts in the face of oppression. However, in a situation where it is unsafe for a journalist to practice, it is better to vacate such toxic atmosphere for the safety of lives and property. "The internet is a tool of globalization as such, online trolling and harassment are more damaging because it is psychological and may be more detrimental to a journalist mental wellbeing if it's allowed. This is like a carrot and stick situation- in the Financial inducement us the most common tactics used to sway journalist in the line of duty in order to get a favorable reportage. This works in a country where journalist are not well remunerated like Nigeria. Blacklisting is the stick. Any journalist that refuses to play to the gallery or be used as a tool for corruption and promotion are threatened or eventually blacklisted by those in authority as a punishment for not dancing to their tune. "Added to this is the issue of poor renumeration of journalist by media houses which make them cheap target or prey of the corrupted elements." He concluded. Charles Ogundiya, a journalist based in Lagos and works with Telegraph Newspaper corroborated Niyi Busari on Nigeria yet to attain the level of press freedom. "When you can't give people correct information and at that, people doesn't know the truth, no way we will have a good governance "For me, we are yet to attain or achieve a total freedom media wise in Nigeria, until we have a stable economy then we can talk about how to tackle those factors. His words of advise: "It is left for the journalist not to be intimidated, however, at times it is even your colleagues that will be attacking you, a very bad situation in our country. It is not everyone that suffers from this, but the situation in the country doesn't help either, so when you are having a relationship with some individuals or group and that's where you are making ends meet, will be difficult to really follow up with the ethics of the job. He concluded. Every 3rd May acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Just as 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 pursuit of a story. Today is a date which celebrates 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. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence.