World Press Freedom Day: African journalists threatened by security risks, misinformation & online violence

Safety, misinformation and online violence are the most critical threats facing African journalists today, analysts say on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day that is celebrated every 3 May.

Year 2023 marks 30 years since a United Nations’ General Assembly decision to proclaim an international day for press freedom. This year’s theme for the Day will be “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all Other Human Rights,” signifying the enabling element of freedom of expression to enjoy and protect all other human rights. According to analysts, journalists in Africa face a number of threats, with the most critical ones being lack of safety, misinformation and online violence, whereby the fact that some African countries like Mali are “no-go” areas for journalists underscores the risk to press freedom.

To that end, even in 2023, it is still common to see journalists face “arbitrary arrests” in their line of duty on the continent, says Sadibou Marong, director of Reporter’s Without Borders’ West African bureau. And much like what happened during election period in Nigeria in February, when a lot of journalists were attacked, harassed and arrested, ”our fear is that in 2023, journalists on the continent could face similar predicaments with elections expected to be held in countries like Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Marong added.

Angela Quintal, Committee to Protect Journalists’ Africa program coordinator, concurs, saying that there’s been an increase in digital surveillance and the use of forensic tools against journalists. This is of “huge concern,” Quintal says, expressing concern over the rise in self-censorship by journalists and noting that the practice is being driven by fear of facing detention and harassment by state officials.