Journalists Molested and Persecuted By Authorities.
Journalists, Reporters, editors and photographers, who have always risked their reputations and lives in the cause of executing their duties are celebrating world press freedom day. These persons who are supposed to be considered as the fouth pillar of democracy, unfortunately have always been humiliated disgraced, beaten and imprisoned.
The tasks of press men and women requires some degree of freedom as guaranteed by the constitution of democratic nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Celebrating the Press Freedom Day on May 3, the question that comes in mind, is, how free are the journalists in the nations seeking running being truth?
Celebrating the day unde the theme, “Information as a Public Good.” It is very important for the press, which treats information on a global scale, to effectively use and dish out information to the world citizenry while empowering journalists. According to some journalists in Cameroon, there is no press freedom in the country. The recent molestation of Hansen Che a journalist of Canal2 and his cameraman recently at the Yaounde 5 council, under the watchful eyes of the authorities, who claimed there is press freedom, is indicating to the world that, there is none.
It’s in Cameroon is on paper. Journalists are always persecuted, imprisoned and even died there. I think for the state to prove that there is press freedom, those who molested the journalist in Yaounde 5 council should be arrested. The authorities are not willing that they should be press freedom. This explains why they keep on manipulating the press. A journalist pointed out.
When It Started
In the Year 1993, the United Nations General Assembly declared it on May 3. After a recommendation made at the twenty-sixth General Conference Session of UNESCO in 1991, the declaration was made. The declaration also came as a result of 1991 Windhoek Declaration; a statement which was produced by African journalists about press freedom, presented at a seminar held by UNESCO.
By Takang Bisong
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