By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
At least 87 press freedom violation cases have so far been reported in Africa, with Nigeria having the highest incidences of violations in 2023.
Most cases of the violations have been attributed to the February and March elections held in the country this year, according to the statement issued Tuesday by Africa media Development Foundation (AMDF), and signed by Joy Gadani, Senior Program Officer Press Freedom.
According to the release, “It is worthy to note that so far, there have been at least 87 reported cases of press freedom violations in Africa.
“Reports have shown Nigeria is having the highest incidences of violations this year, with cases associated to the February/March electio
ns held in the country”, it noted.
The foundation expressed concern for these trends which it noted continue to limit professionalism and practice of journalism.
“Today we lend our voice in calling on government to ensure that media safety is top priority no matter the circumstances.
“We call on philanthropists, corporate organizations, and media enthusiast to join hands in supporting media development at all levels; local or foreign which will go a long way in advancing the course of quality journalism practice.
“Citizens must desist from every form of misinformation, disinformation and fake news, and practice responsible citizen journalism that promotes peace and development of the nation.
“Authorities; political office holders, security agencies should embrace the media as a partner in development, and ensure that no individual and/or agency of government abuse their power by violating the rights of journalists within its region”, it stated..
AMDF sent special tribute to all journalists who have lost their lives in the discharge of their duties, and to journalists who are currently facing jail terms, detention, or some form of incarceration, hoping that justice would find its way to them.
For every journalist and media supporter, it expressed hope that the struggle for a free press would not remain evasive, but become a reality soon.
“AMDF remains resolute to support media safety and development, and we shall not relent in speaking against any act that violates press freedom in Africa.”, it added
Earlier, the body explained that the world press freedom day “is observed to raise awareness on the importance of press freedom, draw the attention of government towards media safety and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
According to AMDF, “The last 30 years have witnessed drastic advancement in media development; the widespread acceptance of independent media, digitization of media platforms and media mainstreaming, these have increased both access to information and information dissemination the world at large.
“However, these past 30 years have not been without their challenges, as the media industry continues to face attacks in various forms both by state and non-state actors.
Issues bothering on safety of journalists, freedom of expression, and media freedom remain at the core of human rights violations.
The statement added that “In Africa, the problem of poor remuneration of journalists, government interference and outright suppression continues to limit practice of journalism; global trend revealing that journalists are the most targeted profession by repressive government.
“2023 like other years has been a year of continued struggle for journalists who are constantly in the frontline of news coverage and reportage”, it lamented
