Appraising The UNESCO/NUJ Confab

Rivers State NUJ Chairman, Mr Opaka Dokubo (middle) explaining some points to foreign election observers who visited him in his office in Port Harcourt last Friday. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

All across the world, at
least one journalist is killed every week for doing his or her job, while nine out of 10 killers often go unpunished.
These are the words of  Communication Advisor, Regional Office of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Mr Ronald Kayanja, Abuja.
Kayanja made the observation in his message to the South West zonal training workshop on “Promoting Safety of Journalists’’, recently organised by the UNESCO and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ibadan.
The UNESCO chief noted that many reporters suffered undue intimidation and harassment, threats and violence.
Kayanja, who was represented by Programme Officer of UNESCO Office, Abuja, Mrs Julie Osagie-Jacobs,stressed that the threats, intimidation, violence and harassment were unacceptable.
The situation somewhat appears grim, as the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Imputes, indicates that within a seven-year period of 2006 to 2012, not less than 500 journalists were killed worldwide.
It also states that requests for information on judicial follow-up of the journalists’ killings were not responded to.
Prof. Stella Okunna of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who coordinated the workshop, spoke about the role of stakeholders in promoting the safety of journalists.
She, however, said that journalists ought to be physically and mentally prepared before embarking on risk-prone assignments.
The don stressed that journalists should also have a good knowledge of the locality of all their proposed assignments.
Okunna particularly advised female journalists to dress appropriately when going for assignments in hostile environments.
“Women should, however, remain assertive; they should refrain from doing anything that will signify that they are afraid when they are about to perform certain assignments.
“They should avoid solo and risky efforts; they should also let people know the details of their movements,’’ she said.
Okunna advised journalists to cultivate a culture of peace, adding, however, that they should be extra cautious in their relations with politicians.
The professor appealed to owners of media organisations to pay adequate wages to their employees so as to ensure that the journalists did not compromise their professional standards.
She also underscored the need to expose journalists to basic safety and risk awareness campaigns, while encouraging them to get insurance cover.
Dr Muyiwa Popoola of the Department of Mass Communication and Media Studies, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, stressed the need for journalists to exercise caution while discharging their duties.
He said that journalists should also strive to uphold the ethics and code of conduct of their profession.
In his keynote address, Dr Adesina Azeez, Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, listed the challenges facing journalists in the South West geo-political zone of Nigeria.
According to him, the factors include ownership influence, exploitation and oppression by media owners, political alliance and partisanship, thuggery and desperation of some politicians.
Azeez also cited misplaced aggression against journalists, over-zealousness, arrogance and commercialisation of media operations as some of the challenges facing journalists.
The Senior Assistant National Secretary of NUJ, Mr Gbemiga Bamidele,  agreed that there was a need for journalists to prepare themselves mentally, physically and psychologically before engaging in risky assignments.
He, however, emphasised that journalists ought to take maximum precautions at work, at home and while on assignments.
He advised journalists to be wary giving out certain personal information such as their mobile phone numbers, place of residence, schedules of work and number or colour of their cars.
In a communique issued at the end of the workshop, the participants unanimously agreed that the NUJ should revisit the Journalism Enhancement Bill and vigorously pursue its passage by the National Assembly.
They noted that this, among other efforts, would facilitate the provision of good salaries and welfare packages for journalists in order to cushion the effects of their risk-prone profession.
They, nonetheless, underscored the need for the management of media houses by qualified professionals, while the media agencies should provide adequate job security for their workers.
The participants, in their communique, stressed that journalists should promote peace via the use of temperate language, as part of pragmatic efforts to guard against violence and political crises.
“Media owners and professional bodies should ensure continuous and periodic risk-awareness trainings for media professionals; they should also desist from sending greenhorns on risk-prone assignments.
“Media owners should provide necessary working tools to ensure the safety of journalists and enable them to perform their jobs optimally.
“Besides, media professionals must take proper care of their health; a health check is absolutely necessary before they embark on risky assignments.
“Employers of journalists should also provide adequate health care facilities for their employees,’’ they added.
The participants, however, commended the NUJ for its efforts to provide insurance cover for its members and emphasised that good insurance schemes should be put in place for journalists working in public and private media outfits.
They, nonetheless, warned that journalists should not abuse their power as agenda-setters but should, as true professionals, remain non-partisan at all times because partisanship could endanger their security.
“Journalists should reject all forms of inducements, as these can compromise their integrity and safety.
“Government and security agencies should ensure that prompt actions are taken against impunity and extra-judicial killings, while appropriate policies should be formulated for the safety of journalists.
“Government should create an enabling environment for the enforcement of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, while all states should endeavour to domesticate the Act.
“The Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act of 1993 should urgently be reviewed and made operational to empower the NPC,’’ they said.
The participants urged agencies like UNESCO and non-governmental organisations, at national and international levels, to continue with their advocacy and public enlightenment activities
They emphasised that this would enable all stakeholders and civil societies to appreciate the need to protect the rights and safety of journalists.
It is, however, pertinent to note that the NUJ, in its efforts to protect all practising journalists in the country, established, “The NUJ Safety Fund for Journalists’’ – a fund set up to provide funds for the welfare of any journalist, who for any reason whatsoever, becomes distressed while performing his or her duty.
The workshop was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under its Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) project. (NANFeatures)
Adeleye Ajayi, writes from NAN.

Adeleye Ajayi