THEME: INFORMATION AS A PUBLIC GOOD
The freedom of the press is the essence of democracy. Freedom of speech is the freedom of citizens to air their opinions without fear; and their right to have access to correct and reliable information about anything and everything. Like Thomas Jefferson said, “our liberty depends on freedom of press”.
It is however sad and appalling that in the Nigeria of today, the freedom of the press is gravely endangered. A typical example is the threat on the life of some citizens who made live videos of the happenings at the Lekki Massacre on October 20, 2020. Journalists are threatened to keep quiet about necessary information that the public is entitled to. Some of them are even manhandled when covering events like election processes.
Today, we demand that the freedom of the press be upheld as it is a fundamental right that must not be restricted or violated. All government policies that are currently infringing on the right to freedom of the press should be abolished and everyone being unjustly punished for exercising this right should be released and compensated for their troubles.
We also urge individuals and professional journalists to circulate only true and reliable information. Not just any information is a public good; true and reliable information is a public good.
Happy World Press Freedom Day.