CJID launches press freedom manual to counter threats to journalism

The Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has launched a press freedom training manual.

The objective of the manual is to provide tools for reversing and tackling media violations in Nigeria.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja on Thursday, Tobi Oluwatoba, CJID executive director, said the manual highlights the dangers of repressive societies.

“CJID is humbled to lead this charge with the production of this piece which is sure to be required reading for all journalism education in the region,” he said.

In his keynote address, Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has led disinformation and deepened the war against truth, evidence and civic participation.

“When General Buhari, as the military leader, re-enacted decree 4 in 1984, he changed one thing; he made truth no longer a defence to a charge under that law,” he said.

“That Buhari of 1984 didn’t change much contrary to the blandishments of people who told us about reformed democrats and change. That General Buhari didn’t change as such.

“Indeed the war of the Buhari enterprise against truth and evidence and effective civic participation has deepened since he returned to power. But that person didn’t fundamentally change.

“And now official disinformation is led by the government. So the biggest investment in Buhari’s government is in appointment in media positions. And he’s got this army of people working on official disinformation led by a minister for information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.”

Odinkalu further said press freedom should not be attributed to the West as this only emboldens authoritarianism in Africa.

“I get rather worried, and this is my personal opinion, when something as universal as free expression is presented to an African audience as a Socratic idea and therefore as a Western idea. It is not Western,” he said.

“Sometimes passing off these ideas as Western or Socratic will enable would-be authoritarians to say ‘well these are not our ideas, these are foreign ideas’.”

In his review of the book, Victor Alumah Ayedun, a professor at the mass communication department, University of Jos, said the manual is comprehensive and in-depth.

Ayedun said the scope of the book covered important areas such as: “The engagement of the press for the struggle for democratic freedom in Nigeria, international instruments of press freedom and the studies of their domestication in Nigerian context.

“The legal status of press freedom in Nigeria and the illegal conditions and economic constraints on press freedom. The freedom of information act and challenges facing its implementation in the Nigerian context. The impact of counter-terrorism legislation on press freedom in Nigeria.”