Taking cognisance of the role of media in promoting transparency and accountability, the Nigerian Guild of Editors has urged the National Assembly to adopt a law that will protect journalists who speak on matters of public interest.
The NGE’s Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Thursday to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, noted that such a law, if enacted, would enable the media to operate responsibly, which will further strengthen the nation’s democracy.
He added that many anti-media laws were aimed at journalists and media houses, which the NASS must repel.
He said, “The Federal Government will fundamentally be promoting the enabling environment for media to operate responsibly if it adopts a law to protect persons who speak out on matters of public interest against abusive lawsuits meant to silence them.
The Federal Government should take a clue from the European Union and other democracies around the world, who have adopted similar laws to protect journalists and media houses against Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation suit.
“More so, there are still many obnoxious and anti-media laws in our statutory books that are targeted at journalists and media houses. The National Assembly must take immediate steps to repeal them.”
The NGE urged stakeholders in the media industry to use the opportunity of World Press Freedom Day to harp on the importance of press freedom and the challenges faced by journalists among which are “censorship, harassment, imprisonment and violence.”
