NGOs call for legal reforms to protect journalists from harassment – ​​The Whistler Newspaper

In partnership with the MacArthur Foundation and the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called for stronger legal safeguards to protect Nigerian journalists from harassment and intimidation.

As part of the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusion and Accountability (CMEDIA), the two-day workshop with participants and facilitators enabled journalists to propose capacity building programs and training for judges, court officers and prosecutors on media laws and their role in democracy.

At the workshop, the Executive Director of the MRA, Edetaen Ojo, stressed that media freedom, a key pillar of democracy, must be protected in Nigeria to ensure that journalists can work without fear of intimidation or harassment. interference from powerful individuals and state entities.

He said that while the 1999 Constitution, as amended, broadly guarantees freedom of expression, there is an urgent need for strengthened legal frameworks to specifically protect journalists and the media against all forms of attack.

He said: “The media plays a vital role in ensuring accountability, transparency and good governance. Accordingly, all stakeholders, including the government, the judiciary, civil society organizations and the media community, should work collaboratively to create a legal environment conducive to a free, independent and professional media sector.

“Although the 1999 Constitution, as amended, broadly guarantees freedom of expression, there is an urgent need for strengthened legal frameworks to specifically protect media freedom and ensure the safety of journalists and the media against all forms of attacks, including arbitrary arrests and detentions. physical violence, criminal trials, among others.

“The misuse and abuse of certain laws, such as the Cybercrime Act, criminal defamation laws and provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to silence, harass, intimidate or punish journalists and others Media professionals who cover sensitive issues such as corruption, abuse of power, poor governance practices and human rights violations, among others, are extremely worrying and must be controlled.

“These laws should either be repealed outright or amended to bring them into line with regional and international norms and standards for the protection of media freedom and to prevent their continued abuse or misuse. as tools of repression against the media.

Speaking on digital security, MRA Program Manager, Esther Adeyemi, highlighted the need for journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources, saying: “With the increasing risks of engaging in the digital space, journalists must adopt security best practices to protect themselves and their digital assets. Malicious actors, as well as journalists, must be security conscious and have mechanisms in place to address threats to data confidentiality, integrity and availability.

Additionally, Adams Timileyin, MRA Program Co-Lead, urged participants to embrace the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011, as a tool to improve journalists’ reporting on government activities.

Although the 2011 FOIA had a positive impact in facilitating access to information, which is vital for investigative journalism as well as routine media reporting, Timeleyin said challenges including delays bureaucracy and the persistent culture of secrecy within the government and its institutions, continue to hamper the full and effective implementation of the law.

He stressed that the law had not yet fulfilled its main objective, which is to make information more freely accessible to the public.

He said: “In accordance with the provisions of the law, public institutions must respond to requests for information within 7 days, whether or not they grant access to the requested information.

“A public institution may refuse a request for access to information if it avails itself of one or more of the exemptions contained in sections: 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 26 of the Act. By refusing the request, the establishment must issue a notice of refusal clearly indicating
the exemption(s) it relied on and the reasons why it considers those exemptions to apply.

“A notice of refusal must be issued as soon as possible and no later than 7 days after receipt of a request under the Act (section 4).”