Stakeholders Call For Digital Rights, Democratisation Of Media Space To Achieve Independent Journalism

Stakeholders in the media space have emphasised the need to democratise digital rights for independent journalism in the country while stressing that government needs to amplify more efforts through robust collaboration to democratise the media space. The stakeholders reiterated that the proliferation of information channels, the ascendancy of digital platforms was necessary for robust strategies to safeguard press freedom.

In addition, safeguarding press freedom fosters global awareness and cooperation through digital platforms by  connecting audiences across several borders and making them feel part of a global community. Speaking during the Business Day Policy intervention series, themed: Strategies for safeguarding press freedom in an increasingly digital age; to explore the challenges and opportunities facing press freedom in today’s digital landscape, the executive director of Paradigm Initiative, Gbenga Sesan, noted that journalists must protect themselves against cyber bullying, sundry media attacks, gagging of the media and misinformation of news.

He bemoaned that a lot of influential journalist are leaving the media occupation due to misinformation of fact and threat to life. He said, Journalist should adopt the principles of anonymity to avoid attacks, cyber bullying and callous events unfolding to destroy the media groups.

He urged journalists to seek redress in the event of attack adding that media houses must proactively protect themselves by challenging the cyber crime laws that seeks to destroy the face of the media.

Managing editor, Guardpost.ng, Ibanga Isine, urged investigative journalists to be self conscious and self reliant to fact check their sources adding that this would build up confident level to cover more grounds and break bold stories. He advised journalists to seek mental health experts when they go through mental breakdown and trauma, especially in case of arrest, detention while stressing the need for continuous advocacy to keep the government accountable. He also stressed the need for sustainable and independent funding for journalist and media groups to achieve accuracy and factual information. Senior lecturer, school of media and communication/Head Pan-Athlantic University Press, Dr. Nwachukwu Egbunike said we need to address the fundamentals of media reporting and ethical underpinning. Egbunike posits that the media space should rather serve the interest of the public than that of the government in power by committing to report stories that keep them on check.

Speaking on the path of regulators, managing partners, Kenna Partners, Ituah Imhanze affirmed that government should not contravene the laws by imposing fines, surcharges and judicial nullity on media organization and media groups reporting stories adding that such attempt would be a brazen attempt to silence the media in the country while calling on the government to review such laws by striking them out.