By Obiabin Onukwugha
The role of journalists in any society cannot be over emphasized. From information dissemination to playing the watchdog role of holding governments accountable, journalists often put their lives in the line just to get their jobs done.
The world over, journalists are from time to time brutalised, attacked, killed or maimed.
A 2021-2022 freedom of expression report, recently released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), recorded 86 deaths for journalists in 2022, amounting to one every four days, up from 55 killings in 2021.
“The findings highlight the grave risks and vulnerabilities that journalists continue to face in the course of their work”, the agency said.
This year’s theme for the International Day to end impunity for Crimes against Journalists is, “Violence against journalists, the integrity of elections, and the role of public leadership,”
Recently, Issam Abdallah, a dedicated Reuters video journalist was killed while covering events at the Israel-Lebanon border.
In Nigeria, incidents of attacks on journalist is a regular occurrence, especially during elections and other riotious moments.
Grace Ekang, a journalist with over 26 years of practice during an interview with Naturenews correspondent, lamented her ugly experience in course of her journalism practice.
Ekang who was former Bureau Chief of a leading television station (name withheld), said she faced rape and kidnapping incidents on several occasions while trying to deliver on her job. She also narrated how brutality in the hands of military men landed her in an ICU in the hospital.
Ekang regretted that for the sixteen years of her working with the station, the organization did nothing about her welfare even when her life was on the line.
She said: “Talking about journalism and brutality and brutality on journalists, I would say I have passed through the eyes of the needle just like the camel. It’s not been rosy in my 26 years of journalism.
“I have been a victim of near rape not once, not twice during my official duties and my organization never saw that as anything. They never for once bothered about my welfare, all they needed was the money, the report. If the report is not sent as at when due it will earn me a query but my welfare wasn’t that important to them.
“I have also ran into kidnappers on two occasions but I didn’t want to broadcast it because even then the people I worked for were not interested in what happened to me, all they wanted was report, report, bring the money but they didn’t bother about my welfare.
“I have also been a victim of Police brutality, not once not twice, not thrice; uncountable times. I have been a victim of the military, the soldiers and that landed me in a hospital where I was kept in ICU for a period of time and my organization wasn’t bothered about it too in my sixteen years of service in my former place of work.
“I came to terms that when it involves the police, the military, nobody dares to do anything, rather your organization will blame you for daring to.
“So the organisations we work for are mainly the cause of the problems that journalists suffer because you are not interested in the welfare of the Journalists, rather what you want is for the Journalist to get you what you want and not caring about the Journalist.”
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Ekang, who also reports on Amazon, pointed out that it was time that media organisations work with government to implement policies that protect the lives and families of journalists, especially through insurance policy in case of eventualities.
‘It is time that media owners begin to take responsibility for their staff. They should at least give insurance to cover the Journalist so that if anything happens the Journalist will be at a better position, the family will be cared for. But whereby the Journalist that work for you does not have an insurance in what he or she does, the Journalist is being put at a place of danger at every given time.
“The government on the other hand, should realise that every report we do for government is free. You are the one inviting the Journalist to come around or say there is a breaking news just as it happened on Sunday here in Rivers State and you want the press to carry the report. The press comes around and in course of it there is danger, there is brutality and then you back off leaving the journalist to suffer whereas you have achieved your aim of getting the report across to the world.
“It is time we come together as journalists and then demand for policies that will benefit the Journalist and their families. We should demand for government to work in synergy with the Journalist, make provision for those working in government parastatals. Make provision for their insurance and welfare.”
Continuing, Ekang tasked journalists to always be safety conscious saying, “Safety is number one priority and I would want to add, before you embark on any event or assignment please turn on the location of your phone. Let your people know where you are. In case of eventuality you could be tracked with that, otherwise you will just be locked up somewhere that people wouldn’t know. But when you are off duty, please turn off your location. And always let someone know where you are.”
Also, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Rivers State, Stanley Job Stanley, decried the fact that such days are celebrated annually without any significant change.
Stanley, who also spoke during an interview with NatureNews correspondent, condemned the situation where security agencies and politicians see journalists as enemies. He said despite the risks journalists are exposed to, they are left to lick their wounds in times of danger and injuries.
“For instance the incident that happened in Rivers State on Monday, the journalists were at the forefront. They also inhaled the tear gas, they were also poured the hot water but the politicians left to take care of themselves leaving the journalists.
“Even the security attack journalists in times like these. They used to see journalists as enemies which shouldn’t be. I want to urge the government to try as much as possible to see how they can extend protection to journalists.
“They protect themselves, no harm comes to them but in anything that happens in society journalists are at the receiving end. Call it demonstration, riot, they throw tear gas, some times our members are being beaten during their rallies and all that.
“We are being exposed to a lot of dangers because of our jobs. And without the Journalist I keep saying that, you can imagine the day you wake up and you don’t hear anything around you. No radio, no television, no newspapers. You will be afraid right in your house and you will feel very much unsafe. It’s because when you wake up you hear what is happening around you, you know the things, that you feel very much comfortable that you are safe.”
“So I think the government has a lot of responsibilities to see how we can be protected. These days we talk about protection of the girl-child and all that. I think journalists too should be among those who people should be advocating for, for things like that,” he stated.
According to the United Nations, ending impunity for crimes against journalists is one of the most important and complex challenges of recent times. It is an essential precondition to guarantee freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens.
The UN in a statement issued on Thursday November 2, pointed out that the 2023 observance seeks to raise awareness of the main challenges faced by journalists and communicators in the exercise of their profession, and to warn of the escalation of violence and repression against them.
These include attacks and restrictions on the press in the context of coverage of social protests; the use of judicial mechanisms against journalists for reasons related to their journalistic work on matters of public interest; and the increase of forced exile of journalists in some countries.
“This year’s theme also seeks to give visibility to the role of a safe and free press in ensuring the integrity of elections and our democratic systems. It reaffirms the obligation of States to adopt effective measures to protect the independent press and strengthen institutional frameworks that combat violence and impunity, and promote media independence, sustainability and diversity.
“This year, the main commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists will take place on 2-3 November 2023 at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington D.C. and will focus on the violence against journalists, the integrity of elections, and the role of public leadership”, the statement read in part.
