By Izuchukwu Nwokoma

World over, the Press seen as the Media in various climes, has presented itself as the mirror of the society. The Press used interchangeably with the Media is saddled with the responsibility of keeping billions of heterogeneous audience abreast of information happening miles away with the available channels of communication and simultaneously too.

The Press referred to as the 'Fourth Estate of the Realm”, after the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, oversees the activities of these three tiers of government and reports accordingly to the society. Indeed, the responsibility Press shoulders is an onerous and enormous one that requires the society to appreciate the doggedness, sagacity, brilliance, dexterity of men and women that work in this sacred institution.

Apart from informing, educating, and entertaining the society, worthy of mention, is also the fact that the Press in developed and developing nations like Nigeria, set agenda for the society, thereby carrying them along in policy formulation as well as making them participate in decision making of the country. Suffice it to say at this point, that the Press through the recruitment of able bodied people has widened the frontiers of information dissemination.

Regrettably, men and women of great repute, who sacrifice a lot in the line of duty, have not been accorded much respect by their organisations, society, government among others. It is not an exaggeration that media workers who put in a lot to keep the society abreast of developments do not receive salaries commensurate with the sacrifices they render. This factor has given credence to bread and butter journalists who go for brown envelopes rather than report stories that will positively affect the society.

Today, the profession is seen as an all-comers affair, because those who are not properly schooled in it hide under the guise of journalism to go after the freebies.

Furthermore, the Government , especially in developing countries like Nigeria, have constantly maligned journalists as there have been cases of incarceration of journalists in their quest to unearth truth. Decrees, edicts were promulgated during the military juntas in Nigeria to arm twist, suppress the Press and their respective media organisations. The likes of Messers Tunde Thompson, Nduka Irabor, were tried and jailed during the military regime despite pleas from Nigerians and the international community while the Founder and Chief Editor, Newswatch, Dele Giwa one of the finest investigative reporters the journalism profession has ever had, was killed through a letter bomb.

Indeed, during the military era in Nigeria, there was the absence of press freedom, media men and women together with their media organisations were clamped down without recourse to the pivotal role(s) they play in keeping the society abreast of goings on.

According to an online statistics by the UNESCO observatory, of killed journalists in Nigeria, from December 22, 2006 to October 24, 2020, 15 journalists have been killed in the country. While the death of some are still being investigated, the others cannot be accounted for up till today. With the passage of the Freedom of Information Act in 2011 and the assenting of the Bill, in 28th May, 2011, it is expected that journalists and other classes of people, will have ample right to access information from government Agencies, Parastatals, Federal Civil Service, Private and Public Sector organisations providing public services among others. Disappointingly, access to information, has not been granted to journalists fully.

There have been cases of deprivation of vital information from journalists in their quest to report, which further supports the saying that there is nothing like absolute press freedom in the World. In all, there is every need to appreciate the overbearing sacrifices, risks Journalists play in the line of duty.

The resilience, bravery among others exhibited by the Press at the twilight of the COVID-19 pandemic, remains outstanding, majority were always at the forefront of discovering new infections and reporting same to the society without allowances or proper Personal Protective Equipment.

As the globe marks this year's World Press Freedom Day with the theme, “Information as a Public Good”, it is expected that all concerned realise the importance of cherishing information as a public good, and exploring what can be done in the production, distribution and reception of content to strengthen journalism, and to advance transparency and empowerment while leaving no one behind.

The theme calls on countries of the world to recognize the changing communications system that is impacting on health, human rights, democracies and sustainable development. It also behooves on the society, that hoard information from journalists, to have a rethink while also taking cognizance of the fact that the information they give today concerning a crime suspect, will put a lot of people at alert.

As the world marks this day, it is also incumbent on the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to use the celebration to protect the profession from half baked journalists, people who bring disrepute to the sacred profession through their sensational reportage, grammatical blunders among others. Journalism is not an all comers affair, it is for those who have flair for writing and reporting.

It is also expected that government and her agencies at all levels, grant access to credible information to journalists in dire need of such to avoid constant friction and quoting out of context or misunderstanding witnessed among government officials and her agencies, while developing countries should put an end to the incarceration of media workers as it were during the military junta.

(Izuchukwu Nwokoma, A Journalist and Public Affairs Analyst).

the press are now agent of national destruction. the only source of uncompromised news now is the television. newspapers and their sites are not just it..