Group wants more freedom for media practitioners

A Lagos based group, Centre for Constitutional Governance has charged the government on the need to enhance journalism and press freedom in the country.

Dr. Wale Balogun, the Executive Director made the call during a workshop on ‘Enhancing Press Freedom’ conducted by the center in Lagos recently.

He lamented that despite the democratic system of government practice in the country journalists are still held back in the discharge of their duties.

He said: “It is indeed thought provoking and interestingly challenging, especially in our contemporary Nigeria which has embraced democracy and has been nurturing it for the past 19 years after almost thirty years of military dictatorship to note that journalists are still restricted in the performance of their assignments.

“Th e 2017 world Press Freedom index has placed Nigeria at 122 out of 180 countries.

Th is means Nigeria came down six places since last year when she was rated 116”.

He alleged government institutions and offi cials of regularly denying journalists information and in some cases threatened them for investigating issues of public interest despite the Freedom of Information Act signed into law in 2011.

He added that lack of ethics and professionalism evident in the practice of journalism by some media practitioners have also aff ected the freedom of the press in the country.

He noted that the workshop was one of the activities of the group to enhance the capacity of the media practitioners and civil society organisations on how to improve the quality of journalism and make the environment more conducive for safe practice in the country.

owever, participants were drawn from various media institutions and civil society organisation across the nation.

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