Opoint’s Post

In this blog, the Center’s D&D Fellow, Dr. John Osae-Kwapong assesses the report from the World Press Freedom Index and reflects on the highs, lows and improvements of press freedom in Ghana. In commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, he urges citizens to heed the call to safeguard journalistic integrity and defend democracy together. Get details here >> #PressFreedom

According to the statement, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and Global Rights: Advocates for Sustainable Justice, in collaboration with the INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE(IPC) and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), will hold a hybrid convening in Lagos under the theme: “The Imperative of Media Freedom for Democratic Governance”, to underscore the vital role that the media play in promoting transparency, accountability, good governance, and democracy. A separate event will be hosted in Abuja by Global Rights in collaboration with MRA and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR). The event will be a Webinar titled “Freedom of the Press in Peril – Raising the Bar for Press Freedom in Nigeria”, which is aimed at sparking a conversation on how to safeguard press freedoms in Africa and how the operational environment for the press can be improved in Nigeria and across the continent. https://lnkd.in/drQREPbh #worldpressfreedomday #pressfreedom #WorldPressFreedomDay2024 #mediacareerdevelopmentnetwork

Journalists Safety in Decline 🚨 Media is under pressure in #Kenya. ⬇ The 2010 Kenyan Constitution is recognized as one of Africa‘s most progressive in terms of press freedom. BUT 👉 concerns persist about restrictive media laws 👉 journalists often face threats, physical assaults, and harassment 👉 from 2022 to 2023, Kenya slid from position 69 to 116 in the Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders) FNF East Africa Office released a policy paper on the situation of Press Freedom in Kenya. The author Prof. George Nyabuga, recommends among others, the Media to: 👉 establish a legal defense network to support journalists facing threats 👉 engage with International Organisations and foreign governments to increase support for Press Freedom the government to: 👉 disband the Government Advertising Agency to decrease government influence over media 👉 hold officials accountable for undermining Press Freedom #HumanRights #Journalism #Africa #FreedomofthePress

We have noticed a concerning trend of a clamp down on press freedom in Nigeria. When journalists are bottlenecked, their ability to hold power accountable diminishes. Before journalism becomes a mere tool for personal agendas where truth is either scarce or compromised, we believe that decisive steps must be taken urgently. To this end, we have joined voices with journalists, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria, Digicivic Initiative, Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Accountability Lab, EiE Nigeria, Gatefield, and other CSOs to call on President Tinubu to urgently prioritize strengthening press freedom in Nigeria by implementing some actionable measures highlighted in the below press statement: https://lnkd.in/duCanVxb We are confident that these measures, when implemented, will safeguard journalists and media professionals as they fulfill their constitutional role of holding power accountable, as observable in truly democratic nations. #JournalismIsNotACrime #FreePress #IndependentPress

The Trump Administration will need to consider how much importance to put on countering malign influence on independent media in African democracies, including #Botswana, #CapeVerde, #Ghana, #Lesotho, #Mauritius, #Namibia, and #SouthAfrica. This includes how much importance to place on efforts to eliminate ownership stakes and mitigate covert influence in independent #media by #China, #Russia, and #Iran. If the #Trump administration makes strengthening the independent media in #Africa democracies a regional priority, then it could have a profound impact on the future of democracy across the region. (cc: Susie Wiles, Howard W. Lutnick, Linda McMahon) https://lnkd.in/g9449xC6

Imagine a coup orchestrated not with tanks, but with tweets. In Niger, a carefully crafted online disinformation campaign, orchestrated by Russia and fueled by AI-generated fake news, helped topple a president. This wasn't an isolated incident. Across Africa, a "fake content industry" is manipulating information, blurring truth and eroding trust in institutions. Weakened media and declining press freedom create fertile ground for these campaigns, putting upcoming elections at risk. But there's hope. By quantifying news credibility, we can empower citizens to be discerning consumers of information and incentivise publishers to prioritize real journalism. Can Africa fight back against the shadow coup of disinformation? Nnaemeka Ohamadike https://lnkd.in/g7JXr2bf

Today, we recognize World Press Freedom Day. #WPFD serves as a reminder of the critical importance of safeguarding the fundamental right to freedom of expression and the press. The USAID - Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) Littorals Regional Initiative team in Ghana wrote about how manipulated information online has exacerbated longstanding ethnic tensions in the border town of Bawku. LRI worked with FactSpace West Africa, an Accra-based International Fact-Checking Network-verified organization to provide fact-checking and social listening training to journalists, strengthening ethical reporting and reducing the spread of manipulated information. Upholding press freedom and promoting accurate reporting are crucial in fostering inter-ethnic collaboration and countering negative narratives. #WPFD2024 https://lnkd.in/edKD95uD

journalism is not a crime

𝗭𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. This year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI), commemorated annually on 2 November, offers Zimbabwe the opportunity to reflect on how best it can improve its international press freedom rankings. The commemorations are being held under the theme: Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies. Zimbabwe moved 10 places from 126 in 2023 to 116 in 2024 in Reporters Without Borders’s World Press Freedom Index rankings. This came on the backdrop of reductions in media freedom violations last year, culminating in an improved media operating environment during Zimbabwe’s 2023 election season. In 2023, MISA Zimbabwe recorded 16 incidents of media freedom violations compared to 24 in 2022. This marked a 33.3 percent decrease in media violations in 2023. Encouragingly, as the year ends, MISA Zimbabwe has recorded seven (7) incidents of media freedom violations to date, compared to the 14 recorded by this time last year. According to UNESCO, impunity for lethal and non-lethal attacks against journalists perpetuates a cycle of violence, which is a key indicator in ensuring public access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/ddhkba5U #IDEI #IDEI2024

It is crucial that we get credible news out of Gaza for obvious reasons, but everyday this is made more impossible by Israel. They target and kill independent Palestinian journalists and destroy independent media outlets while international media are kept out. This way they contol the narrative in the West and they succeed in it. Since Oct 7, 2023 there are 128 documented killings of journalists in Gaza and Westbank and actual figures are more likely above 165 (!!!) This number can not be explained by the fact that journalists in conflict are working under dangerous conditions. In comparison there have been 11 cases of killed journalist in the conflict in Sudan im 18 months. The numbers in Gaza and Westbank are extremely high because journalists are specifically targeted by Isreali troops. Protective helmets and vests with "press" have made them targets. And so, in the West, we keep primarily consuming the dominant and manipulative narratives from Isreal because besides silencing independent medis they spend millions of dollars on (social) media campaigns to polarise and instigate Palestinian hate and dehumanization and it works. So if you can miss a few euro's please support Free Press Unlimited so they can support resilient and brave independent journalists in Gaza like Mohammed Zaanoun