Fifth Bagauda Kaltho Media Lecture:  AMDF to immortalize Late Kaltho

By
ZAINAB TANIMU
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Fifth Bagauda Kaltho Media Lecture:

AMDF to immortalize Late Kaltho

Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria

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The Africa Media Development Foundation AMDF has expressed its determination to immortalize James Baguada Kaltho, Nigerian journalist who disappeared between late 1996 and early 1997 while carrying out his  journalism work.

Late Kaltho, a courageous and fearless investigative journalist, was until his disappearance a force to be reckoned with in the journalism profession.

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This was contained in a communiques issued at the end of fifth Kaltho media

Lecture, with the theme,

“Press Freedom Laws and Policies in Africa: Upholding or undermining journalism practice” held via zoom on Tuesday, 19th  September, 2023.

“The Bagauda Kaltho Memorial Media Lecture Series, is organized by the Africa Media  Development Foundation (AMDF) to immortalize James Baguada Kaltho Nigerian journalist who disappeared between late 1996 and early 1997 because of his journalism work. Until his disappearance, he was a courageous and fearless investigative journalist.”

The programme which  was anchored by the Faculty Head, Kaduna Media Academy, Northwest Nigeria, Ahmed Balarabe Sa’id, featured three Discussants. Journalists from Nigeria, Burundi and Somalia; with Participants from across Nigeria and other African countries including Ghana and Sierra Leone.

Areas of concerns bordered on various ill treatments being meted on journalists in the course of discharging their duties.

Like in Africa many areas of journalism have been criminalized in countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania with the adoption of cybercrime laws which have been employed by State actors to silence critical journalists and content producers.

Several of these countries including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria the communique stressed have nearly doubled their laws on misinformation since 2016.
Killers of journalists in countries like Somalia, Burundi, DR Congo and Nigeria are rarely brought to book.
Journalists especially investigative ones in Burundi work in fear to avoid either being harassed, attacked, or jailed. As a result, Burundi has been trying to rearrange the way the media works.
Press Freedom is a pillar of any democratic society because it shapes public opinion thereby empowering them. It also helps put leaders in check.
Further stressed is the fact that there are a lot of ambiguities in the press regulation laws (Nigerian Press Council and National Broadcasting Commission) in Nigeria, leading to the interpretation of the same laws differently.
That attacks on journalists and media organisations in Nigeria are on the increase by ways of victimisation, gadget seizure, and destruction especially during elections.
Haven’t weighed the importance of the
safety and security of journalists not only in Nigeria but across the globe, the following resolutions were taken.
Resolutions taken includes,

“That there is a need for dedicated laws that will protect journalists to make them perform their constitutionally provided responsibility.
“Provision of a Safe Space for journalists to access help, legal or professional support.
“Journalists’ capacity should be built around the issues they report.
That there is a need to strike a balance between press freedom, press regulation, and responsible press journalism if journalism should fulfill its responsibility of protecting the national interest.
“That a free and responsible press is possible if self-regulation is strengthened. Need to develop and enforce a code of ethics and legal reforms that will address the ambiguity of laws.
In the face of citizen journalism, media literacy should be promoted to help citizens evaluate their thoughts, ideas, knowledge, etc. before going public.
Journalists must work in synergy to form a formidable force in such a way that their tormentors would think about the consequences of their actions if they attempt to harass a journalist or weaponising related laws against journalists.
“That there is a need for an international platform that will make lawyers available for journalists and media organisations that are being or may be persecuted unlawfully.
“That Journalists who understand how press freedom could help in doing their work better should participate in lawmaking either by becoming lawmakers or through lobbying, to review some of the existing laws being used against journalists.
AMDF is a media development organization that supports media and sustainable development initiatives.
The Communique was signed by,
Sola Ojo
The Sun Newspaper
Nigeria
Thibilisse Nkurunziza
Shikiriza Newspaper
Burundi
Boi Beatrice Kenneh
Freetown Media Centre
Sierra Leone

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