The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, CJID, has called on governments at all levels and security agencies to ensure the safety and security of journalists ahead of next month’s general elections.
The call comes in the wake of numerous documented cases of journalist attacks, particularly during political rallies and elections
The CJID Deputy Director, Busola Ajibola, revealed at a security training for 50 journalists across Nigeria that, according to the CJID Press Attack Tracker, approximately 53 attacks on journalists were documented in 2022, with many of them occurring during political rallies.
She bemoaned the fact that journalists were frequently beaten, denied access, or had their equipment damaged while covering elections, and she urged relevant authorities to protect journalists performing their professional duties.
She said, “CJID is not oblivious of attacks against journalists and that the attacks tend to increase during election cycles.
“In 2022 alone, our Press Attack Tracker at CJID documented 53 attacks against journalists, many of which occurred during political rallies where journalists were beaten, denied access, or had their equipment damaged.
“We will therefore have a robust conversation on the safety of journalists in election cycles and the session will provide us with security tips for the 2023 Nigeria elections.”
While reminding journalists of their critical role in promoting credible elections and deepening democracy, the Center urged them to ensure that the information they disseminate to the public is not distorted in order to avoid what it called “information disorder in election coverage.”
The center also encouraged journalists to use fact-checking and verification tools to combat threats to elections and democracy in the country, while also urging them to pay attention to and accurately report key elements of the 2022 Electoral Act.
