Student
journalists of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication in the
University of Buea, have joined the rest of the world to commemorate World
Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2012.
Gathered
at the Open Air Amphitheatre under the canopy of the Association of Student Journalists
in the University of Buea (ASJUB), participants brainstormed over ASJUB’s press
freedom day theme: “Media freedom in promoting professional ethics”.
During the
celebration, former CRTV’s Nchechuma Banla, now in charge of media relations at
the Port Authority in Douala, decried the phenomenon of quacks hijacking the
journalism profession for their parochial interest. While delivering a paper on
“unprofessional activities by quacks; damages caused to the journalism
profession in Cameroon”, Nchechuma cited that these ‘okrika journalists’ have
reduced journalism to a pedestrian vocation, with the greatest casualty being
North West fons and NOWEFU.
Another
guest speaker, David Chuyeh Bohnyu, South West Regional Director of CRTV,
pointed out the level of press freedom within the public media, using CRTV as
case study, while Barrister Njualem Charles, explained how the law is a vital
tool in promoting responsible journalism.
According
to ASJUB President Kiven Benoit, ASJUB celebrates press freedom day so as to
pay tributes to fallen heroes and to promote freedom of expression as the
foundation for human dignity and the cornerstone of democracy. In this light,
ASJUB’s press freedom cake was dedicated to late Bibigota while sketches and
choral music graced the event attended by journalism educators, media
practitioners, student journalists, among others.
It should
be noted that, World Press Freedom Day is to raise awareness of the importance
of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the
right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of
Winhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper
journalists in 1991.
By AMINDEH BLAISE ATABONG
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