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MAIN NEWS
FOI Bill Moves Ahead in the Senate
The Freedom of Information (FOI)
Bill scaled through its second reading at the Senate on January 30, 2008
with most Senators expressing their support for the proposed Law.
Full story....
CPJ Urges Yar’Adua
to Unravel Cases of Murdered Nigerian Journalists
The New
York based freedom of expression group, the Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ) has written to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua urging
him to probe and unravel the deaths and disappearances of five Nigerian
journalists since 1986. Full story...
NIGERIAN NEWS
Nnamani, Ayoola Commend the
Nigerian Media
The vital
role the press plays in deepening and sustaining democracy was
highlighted at two unrelated events that took place in different parts
of Nigeria in January 2008. Full
story...
NHRC, AC Condemn Government’s Infringements
on Press Freedom
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and one of Nigeria’s
opposition political parties, the Action Congress (AC) rose to condemn
the recent spate of attacks on media workers in Nigeria saying they
infringe on the freedom of expression, the rule of law and that they
attempt to stifle the media in its constitutional roles.
Full story...
NBC
Sanctions ITV for “unprofessional political coverage”
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Nigeria’s broadcast sector
regulator sanctioned a private television station, the Independent
Television (ITV) based in Benin City, the Edo State Capital, South-south
Nigeria for alleged “unprofessional political coverage”.
Full story...
An unnamed former governor in Nigeria is reportedly making covert moves
to purchase the defunct private daily: Concord Newspapers Limited.
Full story...
AFRICAN NEWS
Press Freedom Violations Decreased in 2007 in West Africa
Incidents of press freedom violations in the
West African sub-region witnessed a decline in the year 2007 according
to the Accra, Ghana-based free expression group, the Media Foundation
for West Africa (MFWA) in the report it released of its monitoring of
attacks on freedom of speech and expression in West Africa.
Full story...
CEMESP
Launches Documentation of Attacks on Freedom of Expression in Liberia
2006-2007
The Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP) based in
Monrovia, Liberia on January 21 lunched a publication documenting
attacks on freedom of expression and the press in Liberia for the years
2006 and 2007. Full story...
IFJ
Supports Journalists Sued for Libel by Media Executive in Liberia
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has risen to back the
call by the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) on the country’s journalists to
stand in solidarity with six of their professional colleagues and a
newspaper accused of libel by Ambrose Nmah, the general manager of
Renaissance Communication Incorporated, a pro-government media group
that owns Truth FM radio and Real TV.
Full story...
ECOWAS Court Adjourns “Disappeared”
Gambian journalist’s Case
The
Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) on January 31, 2008 again adjourned the case of Chief
Ebrima Manneh, a Gambian journalist of the pro-government Banjul-based
Daily Observer newspaper, to March 13, 2008.
This marks the fourth adjournment of the matter in the last three
months. Full story...
CPJ Urges AU Heads to
Uphold Press Freedom
Worried by the deteriorating media environment in Africa, the New
York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has written to the
African Union Commission calling on the AU to actively defend and uphold
press freedom across the continent. Full
story...
GLOBAL NEWS
Technology is the Root of All Evil
by
Philip Emeagwali
According to history books, gun-wielding European slave traders
kidnapped one in five Africans and transported them across the oceans to
the Americas. A less visible, but no means less drastic technological
tool of suppression, is the compass, a device used worldwide for
navigation. In the same way that Britain used its maritime knowledge and
the US harnessed its intellectual capital to rule the world, the early
slave traders used the simple compass to wreak havoc on civilization.
Full story...
AWARDS & FELLOWSHIPS
FAIR
Grants for African Investigative Journalists
In view of the difficulties often experienced by African investigative
journalists in obtaining space, time and means for longer term
investigative stories, FAIR yearly allocates two grants for such longer
term investigative journalism projects to deserving colleagues.
Full story...
Women's
Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Awards
The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) is calling for
nominations from around the world for its 2008 Courage in Journalism
Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Full story...
Society of
Environmental Journalists (SEJ) Awards
The Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) is calling for entries
for its awards for reporting on the environment from journalists
internationally. The contest honours work that has appeared in
newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and online services, as well as from
radio and television. The work will be honoured in nine categories, each
with a US$1000 prize. Full story...
Grants to attend 2008 Global Investigative Journalism Conference
Investigative journalists from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Middle
East, Asia, Africa and Latin America are invited to apply for grants to
cover their travel and stay at the 2008 Global Investigative Journalism
Conference in Lillehammer, Norway, holding September 11 to 14.
Full story...
ATTACKS
Political Thugs
Beat up Magazine Manager
On 30
January 2008, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the Managing Director of ‘TheNews’
magazine was beaten up by thugs, believed to be working for the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) after he finished giving evidence in a libel
proceedings before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.
Full story......
Journalist and Newspaper Vendor
Arrested, Remanded in Prison Custody
On
January 28, Mr. Samuel Asowata, the Chairman, Editorial Board of ‘Fresh
Facts’ newspaper was ordered to be remanded in prison custody by a
Magistrate Court in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital in South-south
Nigeria following his arrest, detention, and arraignment for alleged
sedition. Full story...
Journalists Arrested and detained for Photographing Statue
On January 10, 2008 at about 4.30 pm local time, two journalists,
Fidelis Mbah of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Tade
Oludayo of Silverbird Television and Rhythm FM radio, were arrested and
detained by government security agents in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital
in South-west Nigeria. Full
story...
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