Media Rights Agenda, MRA, a civil society organisation in Nigeria, has identified and condemned some laws enacted during the colonial and military era with little or no modifications that are still used in the democratic dispensation to intimidate and repress journalists and the media in Nigeria.
In a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day media workshop on “Laws Affecting the Media and Safety of Journalists in Nigeria” held in Enugu over the weekend, MRA identified such laws as the Official Secrets Act of 1962; the Nigeria Press Council Act of 1992, as amended; and the National Broadcasting Commission Act of 1992, as amended.
Others include the Criminal Code Act, which creates offences such as criminal defamation, publication of false news, defamation of persons exercising sovereign authority over a state, provoking breach of peace by offensive publication, insult to a religion, obscene publications, and seditious publications, among others.
The communique also observed that the Federal Government‘s recently enacted Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015, as amended, has become a potent instrument for public office holders, politicians and other powerful members of society who frequently misuse and abuse the law to harass, intimidate and repress journalists and the media, thereby stifling media freedom.
“Over the years, many laws enacted during military rule and some others that have their origins in the colonial era have continued to be enforced under a democratic dispensation and used intermittently to harass, intimidate and repress journalists and the media. Only a few of such laws have undergone some minor modifications, but they remain largely restrictive towards the media sector and journalists,” the communiqué read partly.
It also encouraged journalists to adopt security measures to protect themselves, their sources of information and their devices and professional equipment from malicious actors, as well as from governments, law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies, as they are already operating in an increasingly hostile digital environment.
“Media organisations should adopt digital security policies and implement protocols for detecting and mitigating internal and external threats to their information and data, including by undertaking regular audits of access to sensitive data and the enforcement of strict access control mechanisms.
“Journalists should routinely and regularly back up their data to guard against malware, ransomware, hardware failures, and other potential disruptions. Both online and offline backup protocols and strategies should be adopted and implemented to minimise the possibility of loss or corruption of their data and ensure rapid recovery in the event of data loss due to cyber-attacks or any other attack,” the communiqué advised.
DAILY POST reports that the workshop sessions covered a range of topics such as national, regional and international frameworks on freedom of expression, media freedom and the safety of journalists; legal frameworks that are inimical to media freedom; digital security and common digital threats to journalism practice; ethics in journalism practice; understanding the Freedom of Information Act, 2011; how to avoid legal liabilities as journalists; how to protect information, systems, confidential sources and contacts; and avenues for journalists to obtain legal and litigation support.
