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I’ll like to start this Keynote Tackle by congratulating the mass media internationally, particularly the Worldwide Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) for the Pandora Papers. They leaked 11.9 million paperwork and a pair of.9 terabytes of knowledge exposing corrupt dealings by the highly effective and the worldwide wealthy. The Pandora Papers which have been launched on October 3 uncovered the key dealings of 35 world leaders and over 100 billionaires and highly effective folks.
In 600 journalists from 150 media organisations, throughout 117 nations working collectively, reveals not simply the ability of organisation, professionalism and dedication to make the world a greater place, but additionally, the unstoppable energy of the press.
I’m proud that amongst the media organisations that labored on the Pandora Papers is the Premium Instances of Nigeria whose brave writer, Dapo Olorunyomi is slated as one of many panellists on this platform. Let me thank Ghana for offering refuge for Nigerian journalists fleeing persecution. When the Abacha regime in Nigeria determined to bodily get rid of Mr Olorunyomi in 1995, it was to Ghana he fled for refuge. When his spouse, Ladi who had been held hostage was launched on bail, it was Ghana that welcomed her and the youngsters.
Additionally as you would possibly know, when Nigerian employers have been unwilling to rent Nnamdi Azikiwe, one of many best journalists that ever practiced in West Africa, it was Ghanaian employer, Mr A.J. Ocansey who in 1934 gave him a job to ascertain and run a fearless, Pan Africanist newspaper, the African Morning Publish on this metropolis. Azikiwe later moved again to Nigeria organising top-of-the-line and most fearless newspaper chain, the WEST African Pilot.
Press Freedom and Its Enemies
Distinguished Friends, Women and Gents, Tragically, the excessive professionalism, publicity of sleaze and holding the highly effective accountable as was finished by the Pandora Papers, come at a really excessive prize. The Committee for the Safety of Journalists (CPJ) says that between 1992 and 2021, a complete of 1,418 journalists have been killed within the line of obligation. That’s some 50 journalists killed yearly! This can be a very excessive prize to pay and humanity owes journalists everlasting gratitude for being watch canine for the society, checking corruption, criminality and energy abuse.
In West Africa, journalists have confronted repression and loss of life. This consists of the October 19, 1986 mutilation of Mr Dele Giwa, the Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian NEWSWATCH Journal by a parcel bomb, and, the 1995 sentencing of 4 Nigerian journalists, Mrs Chris Anyanwu, Kunle Ajibade, George Mbah and Ben Charles-Obi to life imprisonment for reporting an tried coup. There was the December 13, 1998 mafia-style execution and incineration of investigative Burkinabe journalist, Norbet Zongo, his brother, chauffeur and a pal.
The pattern within the area as manifested within the nations talked about and people like Ghana, present that maybe the best enemies of press freedom is army rule.
Typically, growth was not arrested in Togo till the January 13, 1963 army coup in opposition to Sylvanus Olympio. Degeneracy didn’t set in Ghana till the February 24, 1966 army coup in opposition to Kwame Nkrumah. Nigeria didn’t turn into a degenerate state till January 15, 1966 when the army overthrew the elected authorities of Tafawa-Balewa. The cumulative 29 years the army dominated Nigeria is principally answerable for the quagmire the nation is in at the moment. In the present day, the Nigerian coup-generals and their beneficiaries proceed to recycle themselves in energy. Within the final 22 years of post-military rule, former army rulers, Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari have been President for fourteen years throughout which they’ve continued the army tradition of repression.
Women and Gents, the African army, being a colonial creation for the oppression of the folks, has been one of many best setbacks for growth in West Africa. Fifteen of the sixteen nations in Wes Africa, skilled coups and army rule. The one exception is Senegal.
Though, we now have tried to steer our nations again to civil rule – democracy continues to be unattained – army misrule is burrowing itself again to energy. There was a army coup in Mali on August 18, 2020.
This yr, there have been three army coups inside 5 months; one in Chad on April 19, 2021, one other in Mali on Might 24, 2021 and a 3rd in Guinea Conakry on September 5, 2021. If will add these to different up to date coups on the continent just like the March 22-24, 2013 coup within the Central African Republic, the Common el-Sisi coup in Egypt in July 2013 and the lengthy drawn November 14-21, 2017 coup in Zimbabwe in opposition to President Robert Mugabe, we are going to realise that there’s the hazard of different army takeovers. These would represent threats to constitutional governance and press freedom.
So the media, particularly in West Africa, should rise as much as assist galvanise the wrestle not simply in opposition to army rule, but additionally misrule by leaders like Alassane Ouattara in Cote d’Ivoire who unconstitutionally elongate their tenure in workplace, Fuare Gnassingbe of Togo who has remodeled governance right into a monarchy and leaders who implement financial programmes designed and imposed on Africa by imperialism.
The West African peoples and their organisations have an obligation to hitch the mass media in combating for press freedom. I don’t imply press freedom to defend the egocentric pursuits of the ruling class however the pursuits of the oppressed individuals who represent the vast majority of folks in every of the nations in Africa.
One of many quick duties is the decriminalization of press freedom. Allow me to salute the federal government of Ghana which has decriminalized freedom of expression, and the Liberian authorities which on February 28, 2019 did the identical. I wish to commend the Media Basis for West Africa for its contribution to the marketing campaign for decriminalization within the area. The MFWA has, efficiently challenged the unlawful arrest and detention of journalists within the Ecowas Courtroom of Justice.
However we now have an enormous battle in our fingers particularly in nations like Nigeria that are rushing in the direction of rising repression and criminalization of freedom of speech. In recent times, we in Nigeria have battled in opposition to makes an attempt and payments on ‘Hate Speech’ makes an attempt to chain the social media and closure of media organisations. However whereas it was straightforward shutting down media homes, as we speak, with ICT, journalism has turn into just like the rainbow; how do you pin down the rainbow? How do you shoot it down? Regularly, the ability of states like these in West Africa to close down the media is slipping out of their fingers. Let me cite a case. On June 5, 2021, the Nigerian authorities positioned an indefinite ban on Twitter for deleting tweets by President Buhari wherein he threatened a significant nationality within the nation. Nonetheless, Nigerians ignored the ban by switching to the encrypted Digital Personal Community (VPN) tunnel over which the federal government has no energy. In a case filed in opposition to the suspension by the Socio Financial and Accountability Challenge (SERAP) on the Ecowas Courtroom of Justice the Judges have restrained the Authorities from finishing up the risk to prosecute twitter customers pending the dedication of the case.
Earlier than then, the identical Courtroom had declared unlawful, null and void the ban on using Web within the Republic of Togo.
The Freeway To Misinformation and Digital Media Regulation
Info, for the media, are sacred. They’re like a non secular obligation and their violation, aspect stepping, mutilation and misrepresentation are just like the cardinal sin. So disinformation, misinformation, falsehood, deception and fabrication are antithetical to journalism. But, these historical practices thrive as a result of these are methods the state and energy manipulate society and attempt to hold it in chains. It’s also a means for the exploiter to use the exploited. The digital age with its instantaneous dissemination of data has strengthened these.
No different world chief in up to date occasions has abused this greater than former America President Donald Trump who in holding misinformation in a vile grip, advised 30,573 verifiable lies in his 4 years on the White Home; a median of 21 lies or inaccurate statements for day by day he was in workplace.
Let me state that this isn’t uniquely American. Warfare time British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill propagated that: “In wartime, reality is so valuable that she ought to all the time be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” In different phrases, in occasions of battle or assumed battle, one of many first casualties is the reality or details on which journalism constructed its follow.
State actors, non-state actors and all specie of human beings for varied causes disseminate faux information or what’s elegantly clothed as various information. These are fed the citizenry, the harmless or the gullible.
Misinformation or faux information is a hazard to journalism, however there could be no let-up within the wrestle in opposition to the purveyors who in lots of circumstances, is the state. In actual fact, many nations set up faux information websites or farms the place they plant, tradition and harvest faux information which they disseminate.
But the identical state turns spherical to strive regulating and censoring the social media within the title of checking faux information. Indonesia has an entire company to control on-line media whereas the German state is empowered to power the net media to delete what is taken into account hate speech or faux information.
There isn’t any single resolution to making sure that this doesn’t lead to outright press censorship and the circumscription of the elemental proper to freedom of speech. My options embody that:
i. Journalism should stay true to its skilled ethics of details being sacred.
ii. The media ought to interact in self-regulation and expose unprofessionalism.
iii. Gate keepers particularly Information Editors, Rewriters and Editors within the media must be alert and demanding in order that unverified data don’t get previous, and in the event that they do, retraction is made in accordance with the ethics of the career.
iv. The media ought to expose faux information websites and name out purveyors of such information.
v. Media homes ought to spend money on know-how that may reality verify information or data.
vi. Media organisations shouldn’t repost or rebroadcast supplies they can’t confirm.
vii. Journalists ought to attempt for a system that ensures social platforms use their actual names to allow them to be referred to as to order in the event that they interact in misinformation.
viii. The mass media particularly in Africa shouldn’t assume that information or supplies from international information companies or sources are true, or worth free. So they need to cross verify such information or supplies and rewrite, fairly than simply regurgitate them.
ix. There’s want for an schooling system that challenges the scholar to suppose in order that conscientious residents can be produced who can query what they learn, watch or expertise.
Conclusion
Press freedom is the liberty of society; press growth, is the event of society. Subsequently, the society should combat to guard press freedom, develop its boundaries, make sure the wellbeing of the mass media and shield the journalist.
In conclusion is that as human beings, we owe it an obligation not simply to guard and defend journalists however to additionally be sure that the mass media within the face of digital growth, altering know-how and dwindling assets, stay heading in the right direction. That is within the curiosity of primary freedom, human rights, democracy and the event of humanity.
Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), writes from Lagos.
That is the textual content of the keynote tackle delivered on the West Africa Media Excellence Convention and Awards (WAMECA) that held on Friday, October 22 on the Swiss Spirit Alisa Resort in Accra, Ghana.
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