World Press Freedom Day: Group  Advocates  Protection, Safety Of Journalists  

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By; USMAN NASIDI, Kaduna

Ahead of World International Press Freedom Day today, the Network of Peace Journalists on the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP), a programme with coordination from Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), and Conflict Mitigation and Management Regional Council (CMMRC), has kicked in totality against all forms of intimidation, molestation, torture, or imprisonment of journalists around the world.

The Team lead of the group, Ibrahima Yakubu on Sunday, made the statement available to newsmen to mark this year’s world International Press Freedom Day in Kaduna.

According to him. promoting the safety of journalists and combatting impunity for those who attack them are central actions within Network of Peace Journalists support for press freedom and freedom of expression worldwide.

He said that in order to protect journalists, the network has suggested that there should be 24/7 hotlines, safe houses, safety fund, safety equipment, legal assistance, emergency assistance, etc for journalists by their unions.

While stressing that there should be continuous training in risk analysis and threat mitigating, first aid, secure communications, conflict sensitive journalism, media laws and code of conduct.

He noted that journalists should be resilient, build support groups, raise alarm when threatened or intimidated, report incidents of attacks and seek legal redress for any violation of their individual and professional rights.

This year’s International Press Freedom Day comes amidst  Russia/Ukraine War and  Sudan crisis claiming lives and property, rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in Nigeria and some parts of the world. 

He equally advocated taking into account, the specific risks female journalists face, hence the need for media owners and other stakeholders to support in raising awareness on the need for the protection of female journalists around the world. 

He suggested that, there should be A global agreement between governments and media owners to guard journalists’ safety.

“Safety of journalists is the ability for journalists and media professionals to receive, produce and share information without facing physical or moral threats.

“67 journalists were killed in 2022, a sharp increase from 2021. Report says a total of 67 journalists died around the world in 2022. A  watchdog group said, largely driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and civil unrest following the assassination of Haiti’s president on January 25, 2023.

In a media report, it was revealed that since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, at least 19 journalists have been killed,  mostly in questionable circumstances.

He said,  “Journalists around the world are increasingly being targeted, molested, intimidated or killed for their work. But one thing to know is journalism is not a crime.”

“The  group was created to strengthen commitments and to raise awareness on the responsibility of pen-guys to ensure a safe and enabling environment for Journalists and other media actors to work without undue interference or intimidation.

“As part of our work to support the building of national safety mechanisms for journalists with buy-in from local, national and international partners when possible, our approach to safety for journalists combines specialist safety training with practical safety measures and advocacy for safer media working environment.

“Among the training we dish out to journalists include early signs and early warning to mitigate conflicts.”

Meanwhile, The Network of Peace Journalists  called on Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to ensure that all the privately owned media organizations are paying journalists monthly salaries. 

The organization also kicked against the recruitment of unspecialised personel in broadcast houses in order to avert recruiting quacks in media organizations.

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