The Nigerian media community have been advised to agitate for a law that would protect journalists from disclosing sources of their information in the country.
Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, Edetaen Ojo gave the advice during a two day workshop organised by the MRA, for some journalists in the northern region of the country on “Using the Freedom of Information Act for Investigative Reporting” in Kaduna State.
The veteran journalist noted that one of the challenges journalists have is getting information. Also because of the nature of the responsibility that the media has in holding the government accountable, they often times rely on confidential sources to get information.
He warned that if such sources have no assurance that their identity will be protected and that journalists can be forced to reveal their identity, they would be reluctant to share information with the media, especially if it has to do with the government.
“In many countries around the world… there have been efforts to adopt laws which protect journalists from being forced to disclose their sources of information. Because of this recognition of the importance of confidential sources of journalists, there are also similar laws that protect journalistic materials such as their tape recorders, notebooks and cameras where they may have confidential informations that would reveal the identity of their sources.
“But Nigeria does not have any of these laws, this is actually one of the most difficult environment for journalism practice around the world.
Ojo called on the media community to come together and put before the government the idea that they also need confidential sources protected, to enable them get information they need.
“The current situation is like the constitution has given us responsibility to hold government accountable, but has not provided us the tools to be able to perform that responsibility and such a law will go along way in helping journalists to get more information and also protecting them from those who want to harm the providers of such information or put pressure on the journalists to disclose their sources.” He added.
The Media Rights Agenda executive director proposed that the most effective strategy to achieve that is for the media community to come together, look at such laws that exists in other parts of the world and prepare a bill to present to the National Assembly and request them to pass the bill into law.
The executive director also made presentations on “Conducting Investigative Reporting, The Role of Records in Investigative Reporting, Interviews in Investigative Reporting and Presenting the Story from the Investigative Reporting.”
Deputy Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, Ayode Longe took the participants on “Understanding the Freedom of Information Act 2011, How Journalists and Media can use the FOI Act” among others, where he explained and simplified the processes on how the journalists can take advantage of the FOI to get the needed information from public institutions under the law for effective reportage.
Participants also had a practical session on how to request for information from public institutions and private entities under the Freedom of Information Act.
MRA, Head of Legal Department, Barrister Obiano Okonkwo and the Programme Officer of the organisation, Esther Adeniyi also made presentations on formulating requests for Information and Facts Checking respectively.
Media Rights Agenda, is a non-governmental organisations with headquarters in Lagos, working to advance the right to freedom of expression and media freedom.
The workshop was organised by the Media Rights Agenda with support from the MacArthur Foundation through the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA).
