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NIGER’s Election: Opposition Party Moden Fa Lumana Cited as Most Abusive on Radio ahead of February Round-off

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NIGER’s Election: Opposition Party Moden Fa Lumana Cited as Most Abusive on Radio ahead of February Round-off

Ahead of the February 21, 2021 round-off presidential election in Niger, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is concerned that the use of indecent campaign language on radio remains high and urges all actors to tone down. The monitoring of indecent expressions on Radio shows that 41 indecent expressions were used by various political actors, with affiliates of the opposition Moden Fa Lumana party as most Abusive on Radio for the month of December, when the first round of the election was held.

The 41 indecent expressions were recorded on 486 programmes monitored on 13 radios stations broadcasting in Niamey from December 1 – 31st. The indecent expressions are made up of provocative remarks (25), unsubstantiated allegations (8), insinuations (6), and inflammatory comments (2).

The MFWA’s December language monitoring report in Niger recorded an average of 0.08 indecent expressions per radio programme, as compared to an average of 0.04 indecent expression per radio programme in November, representing a 100% increase.

The December Monitoring report has cited officials from the Moden Fa Lumana party including former flagbearer Hama Amadou, head of communication Ibrahim Bana, and Malam Sani Maman, General Secretary of the party.

The report has also cited Bazoum Mohamed, flagbearer of the ruling party PNDS-Tarraya, and Mahamane Ousmane, Flagbearer of RDR Tchandji.

The Moden Fa Lumana recorded the highest number of indecent expressions (11), followed by the RDA (6), then the ruling party PNDS (5), the RDR (5), the PJP (3), the MNSD (3), the MPN (3), SDR (2), the FANN (1), RDN (1), and (1) from Amadou Issoufou Maiga an independent candidate. Among the most abusive politicians during the monitoring period are Hama Amadou, former flagbearer of the opposition party Moden Fa Lumana, Bazoum Mohamed, flagbearer of the ruling party PNDS, and Ibrahim Bana, head of communication of the Moden Fa Lumana.

The 41 indecent expressions were recorded on radio programmes including news bulletins, political debates, news programmes and current affairs shows aired on 13 selected radio stations.

Ten (10) of the 13 radio stations monitored recorded indecent expressions. Labari radio recorded the highest number of indecent expressions (11) followed by Niger 24 with (9), then Bonferey radio (8), Dounia radio (3), and Canal 3 radio, Alternative radio, Tambara radio, and Tenere radio all recorded (2) indecent expressions each.

Considering the rise in the use of indecent expressions, MFWA urges all political parties to commit to an issue-based campaign and calls on media outlets to refrain from using their platforms for the dissemination of indecent expressions ahead of the run off for the presidential election scheduled for February 21. 2021.

The language monitoring project is implemented in Niger by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with its national partner, the Niger Observatory for Media Ethics (ONIMED). The project aims at promoting an issue-based campaign and peaceful elections during the 2020 general elections in Niger. The project is being implemented in Ghana and Niger with funding support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

The full report (in French) can be accessed here.

The Instrument being used for the monitoring of indecent language on radio, is also available here  (French version).

For more information about the monitoring report, kindly contact Ibrahim Moussa, Project Officer at ONIMED, Niger: Tel: +227 96 56 78 63 or send a mail at: [email protected].

Soldiers, Vigilantes Assault Media Crew at Mining Site

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Soldiers, Vigilantes Assault Media Crew at Mining Site

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the harassment and assault of a news crew from Kumasi-based LUV FM at a mining site at Manso in the mineral-rich Ashanti region of Ghana by a group of soldiers and private guards.

The crew had accompanied a government Environmental Sustainability Taskforce to report on illegal mining activities in the forest enclave on January 15, 2021.

Reporter Erastus Asare Donkor told the MFWA that the illegal miners called in some heavily-muscled men and military reinforcement to prevent his crew from filming activities at the mining settlement operated by private individuals under military and vigilante protection. He said one of the guards assaulted him and forcibly took the car keys from their driver. Another guard engaged the cameraman, Kofi Asare in a scuffle in a bid to seize his camera which got damaged in the process.

“The guards broke our windscreen and side mirrors. Owner of the site, Donald Entsuah ordered the military to delete all footage from our camera and our personal phones,” Erasmus also told myjoyonline.com, an online platform of the Multimedia Group which also operates LUV FM. He added that their phones were seized and their recordings deleted by the guards.

The crew however managed to retrieve some of the recordings from the memory card after the soldiers had forced them to format it. The media personnel were briefly detained and released following the intervention of officials of the Ministry of Environment and senior officers of the Ghana Armed Forces.

Reacting to the story, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel Eric Aggrey-Quarshie, told the MFWA that the military authorities are investigating the alleged involvement of soldiers in the affair.

“The Armed Forces have not received any official report about the incidents; neither from Luv FM nor the government Taskforce. Nonetheless, we have begun preliminary investigations into media reports of the presence of soldiers at the mining site in order to find out those involved and whether they were there in official capacity. If any wrongdoing is established, we will apply the relevant sanctions under our internal disciplinary code to those involved,” Colonel Aggrey-Quarshie said.

The MFWA strongly condemns the assault on the LUV FM crew who were carrying out legitimate duties. The seizure of the journalists’ camera and forcible deletion of contents their phones is an illegal violation of their digital rights. We are deeply concerned about the role of vigilantes in this drama which is contrary to the recently-enacted anti-vigilantism law in Ghana.

We urge the management of the Multimedia Group to lodge a complaint with the police about the assault on their employees by the vigilantes and to follow-up on the case to ensure justice.

We welcome the proactive move by the Ghana Armed Forces to probe the alleged role of soldiers in the abuse of the journalists and in the entire drama, and advise the Multimedia Group to formally report the incident to the military authorities to facilitate their investigations.

Media and Terrorism in Mali: How Can Journalists Adapt?

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Media and Terrorism in Mali: How Can Journalists Adapt?

In line with our advocacy mission aimed at creating an environment conducive for the practice of journalism, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has for some time been paying particular attention to the Sahelian zone of West Africa which is in the grip of jihadist insurgents and the implication of this security crisis for the work of journalists.

In this vein, the MFWA has published articles highlighting the challenges facing journalists in Niger and Burkina Faso. This third section is focused on Mali.

Freedom of expression is a right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It gives everyone the right to freely seek, receive and impart information and ideas by any means of expression. It allows the free exercise and protection of all other fundamental rights. Several experiences around the world indicate that when freedom of expression retrogresses, other rights soon suffer the same fate. This is the case in Mali.

Until 2010, two years before the occupation of the north of the country by extremist groups, the press freedom situation in Mali was rated “fairly good.” But with the security crisis that has bedeviled the country for nine years now, the situation has deteriorated considerably. There has been an increase in attacks on press freedom. The north and center of the country remain extremely dangerous areas for Malian journalists.

The safety of journalists in Mali has become a daily challenge. Journalists and the media are too often targeted by those who want to impose a draconian blockade on information for citizens and on public discourse.

This is confirmed by Ramata Diaouré, a key figure in the Malian press. Journalist and trainer, she is also a member of the expert committee of the Maison de la Presse. “During and after the crisis, we still cannot work as we would like” she confides, while conceding that there are “objectively, big obstacles”. She nevertheless deplores the lack of knowledge on the part of many actors about the legal texts governing the profession, which can lead to mistrust on both sides.

Adama Diarra, former journalist for the state-owned daily L’Essor, accompanied the first convoy of the Malian army which entered Gao during the liberation of northern Mali in 2013. Being part of this complicated and dangerous mission was essential for this specialist. It was a historic event in the country and she wanted to see with her own eyes the security and defense issues. But it was not an easy task and she got the authorization only after tough negotiations, she said.

Despite their fear of reprisals from terrorists or self-defense militias, most Malian journalists living in areas plagued by terrorism say they live with the threat, and do their job.

“If there are terrorist attacks or inter-communal conflicts in my locality, I have to go and make the report because colleagues from Bamako will call me for more details on the attack. I take my responsibilities with all the risks by venturing on the scene because it is my duty to inform. The traumatized populations want to understand why the massacres are growing in intensity. We get phone calls from our professional associations telling us to be careful with our lives by avoiding a thorough reporting on the deadly attacks. Most of our colleagues, who could no longer hold out, decided to give up the job or take refuge in the south (Bamako), “said a journalist from the Mopti region (central Mali).

This is not the case with Moussa Camara, a journalist for radio Mikado (MINUSMA) based in the MINUSMA military camp in Kidal, who benefits from the protection of UN peacekeepers during his reporting. The Director of Information and Public Relations of the Armed Forces, Colonel Diarran Koné, has cautioned the Malian media to avoid going to the wild zones because they can fall victim to ambush.

“That’s why with each attack, we issue a press release to the various editors for publication urging them to avoid sending journalists to the scene, as it is very risky. In these areas, we had military journalists on the front lines who give us real-time information in images and videos.

“We prohibit these areas to civilian journalists, it often happens that we escort certain journalists at the request of the hierarchy to do a major report. Malian journalists are aware that the measures we had taken, reluctantly, are for their protection,” the Colonel confides.

According to Hamma Yalcoye, Professor of the Sociology, Communication and Media at the University of Bamako, the journalist operating in areas exposed to terrorism should have:

  • Humility: Overconfidence is dangerous. Each mission should be approached as if it were the first, with modesty and respect for others, for local customs.
  • Preparation: It is imperative to anticipate the risks by knowing the culture of the country, of the region in order to blend in as well as possible with the local environment. Beyond the physical differences, behavioral differences can quickly betray in some countries. Example: smoking during Ramadan, reaching out to a woman to greet her etc.
  • Common sense: One must know how to listen to his/her instincts, remain cautious, discreet and attentive to warning signals. Do not get carried away by adrenaline or the race for recognition; a report or a photo is not worth your life.

In a combat zone, the journalist should wear a bulletproof vest and helmet and identify himself as a journalist. The itinerary must be well prepared before any trip. At a checkpoint, stay calm and cooperate with the guards. In the face of shots, you have to get down to the ground and take cover.

Mauritanian Authorities Must Release Journalist Salem Kerboub

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Mauritanian Authorities Must Release Journalist Salem Kerboub

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) urges the authorities in Mauritania to release Ahmed Mohamed Salem Kerboub from detention and end the harassment of the freelance journalist and two other bloggers.

In what constitutes a new attempt at muzzling of freedom of expression on the internet and intimidation of citizens for exercising their fundamental rights, the administrative and regional authorities of Nouadhibou, the second major city in Mauritania, 525 km away from the capital Nouakchott, detained Journalist Kerkoub on January 7, 2021, upon the complaint of the deputy mayor of Nouadhibou, Ghassem Ould Bellali, over an article the journalist published.

The authorities have also placed under judicial supervision Mohamed Haibeitna Delchoul and Bilal Abdarrahmane, who assisted the journalists with information collection and fact-checking. The two are required to appear every day at the Nouadhibou court.

On January 5, 2021, Kerboub, who writes for the news website www.mauritannet.blogspot.com,  published an article on Facebook in which he made certain allegations about the management of funds meant to help vulnerable people to cope with the effects of COVID-19.

The journalist allegedly claimed that the administrative (governor and prefect) and municipal (mayor) authorities did not respect the guidelines for the allocation of the amount of 2280 MRU (57 USD) each to vulnerable households. Salem Kerboub was brought to the civil prison of Nouadhibou and prosecuted for defamation, slander and insult, following a complaint by the deputy mayor.

This is the second time in six months that this journalist, who’s also a social media activist, has been jailed for his publications.

On June 8, 2020, Salem Kerkoub was arrested on the orders of the investigating judge of the Dakhlet Nouadhibou regional court. He was subsequently held in prison for 30 days.  The judge accused the activist of not having complied with the conditions of a judicial review in January 2020 following a complaint filed against him by the mayor of the economic capital of Mauritania, Honorable El Ghassem Ould Bellali.

However, following mediation by the Syndicat des Journalistes Mauritaniens (SJM) and some local dignitaries, Ghassem Ould Bellali, the mayor of Nouadhibou withdrew his complaint. The journalist was released on bail on July 8, 2020, with judicial review.

Criticisms by journalists, bloggers and citizens on social media in Mauritania are viewed with concern by the authorities who attempt to repress them with detentions and excessive fines by the courts.

On June 24, 2020, the National Assembly passed a new law on posting on social media. The law provides for criminal penalties of three months to five years, with fines of 50,000 MRU (1,260 USD) to 200,000 MRU (5040 USD) for any publication deemed false.

The MFWA calls for the release of Salem Kerkoub and the lifting of the judicial control imposed on Mohamed Haibeitna Delchoul and Bilal Abdarrahmane.

We call on public authorities to be tolerant of criticism about the management of public affairs, and to use the rights of rejoinder to inform public opinion on the issues about which they are questioned. Resorting to legal proceedings against journalists and citizens over the management of public affairs has the potential to violate the freedom of expression enshrined in the constitution and indispensable under any democratic regime. It undermines public discourse and participatory governance and strengthens bad governance and corruption.

Security Officer Harasses Journalists, Destroys Camera

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Security Officer Harasses Journalists, Destroys Camera

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on January 6 harassed three photojournalists – Olatunji Obasa of The Punch, Olu Aremo of Leadership and Mudashiru Atanda of The Sun – and seized Obasa’s camera.

The incident took place at the headquarters of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in the country’s capital Abuja while the photojournalists were covering the enrolment of citizens in a programme to link their SIMs with their national identification numbers (NIN).

Nigerians who had no NINs prior to the announcement of the policy have been thronging the NIMC offices nationwide to register the number as the government has threatened to block the phone numbers of subscribers who fail to link their SIMs to their NINs by February 9.

As a crowd besieged the NIMC headquarters to register their NINs, Obasa says he and his colleagues saw a woman being harassed by NSCDC officers for allegedly not staying in queue.

As the photojournalists were filming the scene, Obasa said two NSCDC officers stopped them, telling them they had no authorisation to cover the exercise.

“One of the officers threatened to destroy my camera, which he did. He forcefully collected and broke it,” Obasa told MFWA.“Other officers also tried to seize my colleagues’ cameras but he resisted,” he added.

In the end, Obasa says he and his colleagues left the place after some senior officers and NIMC officials intervened in the matter but not without requesting his camera be replaced.

Meanwhile the NIMC has asked Obasa to get his employers, The Punch newspaper, to write officially to report the incident and demand a replacement for the damaged camera. The journalist says in the meantime, he is using his phone to take pictures, which is not ideal.

“Sadly, smartphones have limits in taking pictures. Right now, I have no tool to carry out my daily assignment, but I hope the right thing be done,” he says.

In a phone interview with MFWA, a spokesperson for NSCDC, Mr Emma Okeh, says the corps has meted out appropriate punishment to particularly the officer who broke Obasa’s camera.

“We have taken action on the matter, first, by recalling the officer involved from the beat; and second, by meeting with the photojournalists to know the true situation of what happened. We know that journalists have their job to do; they are stakeholders in the nation’s affairs, so we cannot treat their matter shabbily,”  Okeh assured.

MFWA condemns the harassment of journalists by Nigeria’s security forces who must rather be protecting them in the line of duty. We welcome the decision by the NIMC to replace the damaged camera of The Punch newspaper journalist and applaud the sanctions imposed on the perpetrator by his employers, the NSCDC.

The Police Must Drop Charges against Reporter of The Finder Newspaper

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The Police Must Drop Charges against Reporter of The Finder Newspaper

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the arrest of Selorm Gborbidzi, of a reporter of the Accra-based The Finder newspaper and call on the police authorities to drop all charges against him.

The reporter was arrested on January 14, 2021 after a police officer, Sergeant Solomon Tackie, accused him of filming a scuffle between him and a driver of a commercial vehicle together with his conductor.

Narrating the incident to the MFWA, Gborbidzi said a scuffle ensued between the police officer and the motorists for breaching traffic regulations at a bus stop near the University of Ghana, Legon. The reporter, who was on the said vehicle, began to video the scene. Sergeant Tackie then confronted him and tried to seize his phone. In the face of resistance by the journalist, the police officer called his colleagues of the Motorbike Unit of the Legon Police Station for help.

“I resisted his attempt and he called for backup from the office,” the reporter said.

“Some 15 minutes after the incident started, the squad car arrived. One of the officers grabbed me and shoved me into the car, and they drove me to the Legon Police Station, few metres away.”

The reporter said the police officers tried to take his phone while driving him away amidst stiff resistance from him. The demand to hand over his phone was repeated at the police station but the reporter resisted because he had not put any form of security or code on his phone to protect it.

 “I again insisted that until I had secured my phone, I could not safely hand it to them.

Even after eventually handing over the phone upon persuasion from Sergeant Tackie, the journalist was asked to remove his shoes and socks before being shoved into the police cells.  Gborbidzi spent about four hours in detention before his editor arrived and secured his release.

The police told the Elvis Darko, Editor of The FINDER, that the reporter has been charged with obstruction of justice, illegally filming a police officer in the line of duty and insulting a police officer.

The Editor expressed indignation at the treatment meted out to his reporter.

“To arrest and lock up a journalist in police cell for filming an altercation between a policeman (a public official on duty) and a commercial bus (tro-tro) driver in the full glare of everybody around is an act of intimidation, harassment and human rights abuse of the journalist.

The police administration must be seen to be punishing such errant officers as a deterrent to others,” Elvis Darko said.

The MFWA equally condemns the arrest and detention of Gborbidzi as unwarranted, repressive and retrogressive. It is an act of overzealousness on the part of police officers which needlessly brings the name of the police into the news headlines for the wrong reasons.

We expect police officers carrying out their legitimate duties in public and confident that they are conducting themselves professionally not to panic over the filming of their activities. And we urge the police to negotiate with the journalists when such filming occurs rather than abuse their authority. Journalists have sensitive material on their phones, including possibly, details about their sources. It is therefore an invasion of their privacy to seize and search their phones.

The MFWA therefore urges the police to drop all charges against the journalist and calls on the authorities to take steps to prevent a recurrence of this incident.

Post-Election Threats against Journalists in Ghana – the Impunity Must End

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Post-Election Threats against Journalists in Ghana – the Impunity Must End

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is deeply concerned about continuing threats targeted at critical journalists in Ghana in the aftermath of the general elections and urges the police to intensify investigations into the incidents and arrest the perpetrators to face the law.

Over the past two weeks, three journalists in Accra have been separately threatened because of their work, mostly by unknown individuals, continuing a worrying trend that has emerged since Ghanaians went to the polls on December 7, 2020, to elect a President and new legislators.

In the latest incident, an unknown individual stormed the premises of Zylofon FM on January 5, 2021, in search of radio broadcaster and musician, Blakk Rasta, who was then on-air presenting his late afternoon show. A statement issued on January 6, 2021, by the Management of Zylofon Media, operators of Zylofon FM, said the unknown man invaded the premises of the radio station at about 4:00 pm after breaching security protocols.

“This man went to the station’s server room, succeeding in disconnecting some of our cables, therefore, shutting down transmission before threatening the life of the host of the Taxi Driver Show, Blakk Rasta, known in private life as Abubakar Ahmed,” the statement read.

It continued: “It was unclear what the real motive of this assailant was but he engaged security details at the premises in a scuffle and sprayed a strange content into their eyes while baying for the blood of Blakk Rasta as he struggled to break into the studio during the live transmission of the Black Pot segment on the Taxi Driver Show”.

The management of the radio station revealed that it took the intervention of the East Legon District Police team to overpower and arrest.

The attack on Zylofon FM and the threat against its star presenter came seven days after Abdul Hayi Moomen, a journalist with the state broadcaster, GTV, filed a complaint with the police that he had been threatened by some unidentified individuals.

Moomen announced the December 28, 2020 incident on Facebook with a picture of the assailants, saying “I have lodged an official complaint to the Nima police. But should anything happen to me or any member of my family, please help them to track the guy in black (it’s the best shot I could get of him under the circumstances). He and his friends have threatened to deal with me. They say they know where I live and that, that job will be easy.”

Another journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, disclosed that he had received a death threat on Christmas day over an article he wrote about the disputed outcome of the December 7 general elections in Ghana.

Speaking on Newsfile, a weekend socio-political programme aired by Accra-based Joy FM on December 26, 2020, Manasseh, a freelance investigative journalist, revealed that the threat was emailed to him.

“Let me tell you Manasseh or whatever you call yourself, we the good citizens of Ghana will not sit down for a few miscreants like you to destroy that beautiful country. If condition demands that we eliminate rats like you, we will not relent on our oars to do exactly that,” the unknown individual warned.

In what is a deliberate psychological assault, the mail referred to the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale, cynically warning Manasseh to take a lesson from that incident which occurred in Accra on January 16, 2019.

“But don’t forget Ahmed Suale’s death, let that blood which was sacrificed to pacify the spirit of our ancestors serve as a reminder for you. Always when you take a pen and write an article remember your colleagues’ death…”

These threats come on the heels of similar threats made against journalists of the private media organization the Multimedia Group by disgruntled individuals on social media. The threats, which were targeted at journalists Evans Mensah, Winston Amoah, Philip Osei-Bonsu, Gifty Andoh-Appiah, Israel Laryea, compelled the management of the Multimedia Group to petition the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Police. The petition dated December 14, 2020, urged the Police to investigate the threats and arrest the perpetrators.

The MFWA considers these threats as an attack on press freedom and freedom of expression generally, which are key elements of democracy. They demonstrate a high level of intolerance for press freedom and constitute an attempt to silence critical journalism. We, therefore, urge the police to continue to provide protection for the targeted journalists and to unmask the persons behind these cowardly acts to face the law.

Media Ethics: 3 Political Shows on Pro-NPP Radio Station Oman FM Top Violations.

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Media Ethics: 3 Political Shows on Pro-NPP Radio Station Oman FM Top Violations.

Three political talk shows on Pro-NPP radio station Oman FM have emerged as the worst culprits of media ethics violation, recording more than 50% of the total infractions captured in the Dec 1-15 2020 monitoring period.

Out of the 110 violations recorded during the period of monitoring, the three political talk shows namely; National Agenda, Election Reference Centre and Boiling Point recorded 58 infractions in total.

These findings were observed by the Ethics Monitoring Project of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) which monitored 26 news organisations made up of 10 Akan language radio stations, 10 newspapers and six news websites. A total of 950 pieces of content from the 26 organisations were monitored and analysed out of which 110 ethical violations were recorded.

Out of the 82 violations recorded on radio, three political shows on pro NPP radio station, Oman FM recorded 58 infractions making them the highest offenders in the category. The shows cited in the period of monitoring include; National Agenda, hosted by Yaw Amofa Boakye recording the highest count of violation at (29).  Election Reference Center, hosted by Gordon Asare Bediako was second with (16) counts of violations whilst the station’s afternoon political show, Boiling Point, hosted by Kwabena Kwakye came third with (13) counts of violation.

In the same vein, Oman FM came on top with the highest violation of the principles of Decency and Accuracy (22) as well as Facts and Opinion.

The monitoring of media ethics is part of a project titled: Enhancing Media Professionalism To Inspire Public Confidence and Support for Press Freedom in Ghana being implemented with funding support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The objective of the project is to identify and highlight incidents of ethical infractions and draw attention to such breaches as a way of fostering adherence to ethical principles by media organisations.

The full report contains the specific ethical principles violated, the names of the media outlets that committed the violations, among other findings. Click here to access the full report. The instrument being used for the monitoring, which contains the category definitions for tracking and reporting of ethical principles is also available here.

For further clarifications and media interviews, contact the Programme Manager, Abigail Larbi-Odei (0244867047) or Programme Officer, Kwaku Krobea Asante (0249484528).

Elections 2020 in Niger: Partisanship, Censorship and Fear of Press Freedom Violations

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Elections 2020 in Niger: Partisanship, Censorship and Fear of Press Freedom Violations

About 7.4 million voters in Niger are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday 27th December in a highly contentious presidential and legislative elections. The stakes are high since this year’s elections would mark the first transition of power in the history of the coup-prone former French colony.

The incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou announced he is stepping down at the end of his second tenure in office in April 2021 in line with the constitutional limit on presidential mandates.

The presidential candidate for the ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) Mohamed Bazoum, who is also a former minister of Interior and of Foreign Affairs, is considered to be the favourite among thirty (30) presidential candidates including Albadé Abouba, from the Patriotic Movement for Development (MPD), the Former President Mahamane Ousmane from the Democratic and Republican party, and Ibrahim Yacouba of the Nigerien Patriotic Movement (MPN).

The ruling party is keen on retaining power, while several candidates from the opposition created a coalition with several political parties in order to win the presidential seat.

Key among the issues defining this year’s election is the fight against terrorism. The country has since 2015 witnessed a spill over of extremist groups from neighbouring Burkina Faso. Other top issues likely to define voter’s choice on election day is the fight against perceived corruption in the military, especially with regard to procurement and social interventions aimed at curbing rampant poverty.

Against the foregoing background, the media has played an essential role in providing relevant information to the electorate. There has been increased coverage of the electoral process and topical issues on politics and the propositions of each candidate.

Ahead of the polls, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), conducted an analysis of the media landscape and has recorded several challenges plaguing the media industry including growing censorship, partisanship, and the fear of possible attack against the media during the ongoing campaign season.

Partisanship among the Media:

Following the democratic tide that swept across West Africa in the 90’s, Niger saw a resurgence of multi-party governance, and the adoption of provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression and of the press which paved the way for a burgeoning media landscape. From 1993 till date, Niger witnessed an explosion in the number of media outlets. Before 1993, there were only four media organisations in the country all of which were state-owned (radio Voix du Sahel, Sahel Television, and two newspapers Le Sahel, and Sahel Dimanche). Today, Niger has 130 newspapers, 16 television channels, more than 30 national commercial radios, and over 200 community radio stations.

As the election draws closer, the media landscape is reflecting the highly partisan atmosphere in the country, providing platforms for candidates to present to the electorate their diverse policies. Furthermore, there is an increase of debates on air analysing the key issues to be tackled.

Despite such a vibrant landscape, media organisations in the country are plagued by partisanship. The current situation shows an alignment of media organisations to political parties. Increasingly the media landscape in Niger is highly divided as some media organisations are aligned to the ruling party while some are aligned to the opposition. This is mainly because some politicians fund some media outlets or are the sole owners. For example, the MFWA sources revealed that the Anfani media group is owned by the opposition Member of Parliament and presidential candidate Grema Boucar while the Dounia media’s main shareholders are supporters of the ruling party.

The situation has turned media houses during the on-going campaign into the mouthpiece of political parties funding their operations. The state-owned media is also mostly aligned with the government.

“They are not with us” has become a widely used expression by politicians to refer to a specific media organisation in Niger that is not aligned to their party.

Censorship and media capture

In an electioneering year, the media plays an indispensable role by projecting the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates, the government, and the electoral management body, and informs the public on how each of the stakeholders are performing. This role of the media can influence voters’ turnout and affect the chances of a candidate in winning or losing the election.

During the on-going campaign, the media landscape in Niger has increasingly witnessed opposition media organisations heavily criticising the ruling party, with media outlets aligned to the ruling party also being very critical of the other side. The editorial line of a media house depends on whether the party that finances it operations supports the ruling or is part of the opposition party.

“Ibrahim Yacouba, who is currently a presidential candidate, and a Member of Parliament in the opposition, is the owner of Niger 24. He used to be part of the ruling party and occupied varied positions in the government including deputy chief of staff at the presidency. When he left the ruling party in 2018 due to some misunderstandings, the editorial line at the media automatically changed from praising to criticising the government” said an anonymous source.

The situation has led to a spike in censorship among media organisations. Sources of the MFWA revealed that editors at some media organisations aligned to a specific political party have sometimes ask their reporters not to publish some reports which could negatively affect the candidates from the party that finances their operations.

The sector has thus fallen victim to “media capture” where media organisations are not autonomous in their operations and are influenced in their reportage by their funders or advertisers. Some media organisations in Niger are often scared of losing their source of funding and could be subjected to financial bullying as parties funding them could threaten to withdraw funding or advertising contracts to restrain them from reporting some issues.

Some experts believe that the situation is due to the financial weakness of media organisations and journalists. In Niger, most journalists work without contracts and receive wages lower than the minimum salary which is 35000 CFA (USD64). For the past five years, media professional unions and the Ministry of Communication have been calling on media owners to sign a collective agreement which would guarantee minimum wage for reporters, however limited progress have been made. The poor wages received by journalist make them easy targets for politicians seeking to promote a specific agenda.

Fear of Attacks on journalists

Freedom of expression and of the press is essential for a vibrant democracy and credible elections. A free and independent media industry represents the backbone of democratic governance. During an electioneering year, these rights become more important since the media assesses the incumbent government’s policies. A climate in which press freedom is infringed upon stifles the media from effectively carrying out its watchdog role to adequately inform the electorate.

As the campaign ahead of the election gains momentum and debates among stakeholders are getting tense, media professionals working in highly partisan outlets have expressed fears of possible attacks from militants of other political groups.

Reports indicate that journalists in media houses aligned to the opposition do not dare attend rallies or programmes organised by supporters of the ruling party and vice-versa.

In January 2015, during a public demonstration organised by the opposition, law enforcement officers and some party militants attacked four media houses allegedly close to the opposition and Radio and Television Ténéré was ordered to suspend its programmes.

Memories of the event have resurfaced during the current campaign season and the fear of being attacked by militants from some political parties looms on the media landscape in Niger.

Recommendations

Considering the challenges plaguing the media landscape, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) makes the following recommendations for long term changes.

  • Increase the Media Support Fund: Every year the Niger government supports media organisations through the media support fund. This is a total amount of 200 million CFA shared among media organisations. The fund aims at supporting the organisations to sustain their all-year-round operations. Media professionals have recently complained of the insufficiency of the amount allocated to the fund. Some media outlets receive as little as 700 000 CFA (USD1300) for a whole year. The limited financial support from government has made media organisations prone to being influenced by politicians. Hence, the government should increase the media support fund to guarantee a level of media independence in reporting issues in an independent manner.
  • Sign the Collective Agreement: For the past five years, both media professionals’ associations and the ministry of communication have been calling on the media owners to sign a collective agreement which will help in improving the working conditions of reporters. Low income received by journalists have further made it easy for some reporters to produce biased reports in order to receive financial favours from politicians. The Medias Foundation calls on media owners to sign the collective convention to improve the working conditions of journalists and guarantee to a certain extent their impartiality in reportage.
  • Refrain from Attacking the Media: Citizens in Niger are increasingly becoming intolerant towards the media especially since the 2015 incident. The fear of being attacked still lingers among journalists and has limited their reportage. Ahead of the pre- and post-the election, the Media Foundation calls on citizen to be tolerant towards the media and report to relevant officials in case any media outlet violates the code of ethics.

Press Freedom Violations During 2020 Elections in Ghana Must Be Redressed–MFWA

Kwaku Asante
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Press Freedom Violations During 2020 Elections in Ghana Must Be Redressed–MFWA

As the dust settles on the December 7, 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) notes with deep concern the acts of violence, including a near fatal shooting incident, perpetrated against some journalists covering the electoral process, and demands appropriate redress.

In the first incident, Pius Kwanin Asiedu who works with the news portal newswatchgh.com, was shot in the left leg on December 8, 2020, while covering the collation of results at the Ablekuma Central collation Centre in Accra. The gunshots followed heated arguments between agents of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) which escalated into violent clashes.

Asiedu was rushed to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), where he underwent a successful surgery. The journalist had the bullet hole in his leg plugged with a metallic medical piece.

In the same incident, another journalist, Doreen Ampofo of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Radio, fell and sustained injuries as a political party activist who mistook her for an Electoral Commission Official hurled a stone at her.

On December 9, two journalists from Ghanaweb.com, Laud Adu-Asare and Sandra Obiribea, were assaulted at the NDC headquarters in Accra by the party’s supporters. The two, head of the news website’s political desk and videographer respectively, were covering a press conference by the party executives. The assailants said the media house the journalists work for was biased against their party. Adu-Asare emerged from the attack with a bruised left arm, with his shirt and media jacket shredded. The assaulted journalists received medical attention and reported the incident to the police
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On the same day (December 9), Osei Kwadwo Ambassador, a reporter with Pure FM was attacked by some angry supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kumasi. The assailants accused the Angel Broadcasting Network (ABN), of which Pure FM is a subsidiary, of biased coverage of the elections. The reporter’s mobile phone was seized by the thugs.

In August, the MFWA reported on two separate attacks on two journalists in what we signaled as a safety of journalists red flag ahead of the December 2020 polls.

On June 20, 2020, some NPP thugs assaulted journalist Macbadara Romanus of Tizaa FM in the North East Regional capital, Nalerigu, while he was covering the party’s primaries.

In the second incident, journalist Abraham Ananpansah with PAD FM in Damango, in the Savanah Region was threatened and subsequently attacked on July 2, 2020 by thugs led by Anoma Rahim Atabia, Deputy Regional Organiser of the NPP. The journalist had angered Atabia by reporting on his disruptive conduct at a registration centre.

The MFWA regrets that despite its warning about possible attacks on journalists during the December polls, the political parties apparently failed to educate their supporters to respect press freedom. We strongly condemn these attacks on journalists carrying out their legitimate professional duties and demand thorough police investigations into the above incidents as well as judicial follow-ups.

The MFWA is disappointed that a week after the violent confrontation between agents of the ruling NPP and opposition NDC led to the serious press freedom violations at Ablekuma, the leadership of the two leading political parties have not reacted to the incident. This silence renders the leaders of the two parties complicit in the violations and does not demonstrate their abhorrence of the aberrant behaviour of their party agents and supporters.

We call on the executives of the NDC in particular, to come out and show sensitivity to the plight of the journalists who were assaulted by their party’s supporters in Kumasi and at their headquarters in Accra.

While we condemn the violence perpetrated against journalists, we also condemn some of the acts of unprofessionalism, such as disseminating of disinformation and unverified reports and downright fabrications, exhibited by a fringe minority during the coverage of the elections.

We also commend the media for their generally professional reportage and the skillful manner they handled the tensed aftermath of the declaration of the election results.

Accessing Information Sources in Niger Conflict Zones: Journalists Share Experiences

Kwaku Asante
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Accessing Information Sources in Niger Conflict Zones: Journalists Share Experiences

Of the eight regions in Niger, four, namely Tillabery, Tahoua, Diffa and Maradi are affected by insecurity linked to attacks by terrorist groups in Niger, since the invasion by armed groups from northern Mali.

Working as a journalist in this context is a real challenge as mobility and access to information are restricted due to the security measures taken by the government.

The state of emergency that was declared as part of efforts to tackle the security crisis gives special powers to the security forces in their zones of operations. Notable among them is the power to order house searches or decide on the movement of the population in the affected areas. The enforcement of these special powers militates against the research, collection, processing and dissemination of information, especially since the populations are reluctant to express themselves on the security issue out of fear. The fear of offending the defense and security forces and on the other hand, of becoming the target of armed groups who carry out targeted attacks against populations who denounce them.

Quest for information in the context of insecurity

According to Ismael Saloua, an expert on security and media issues, ” journalists must have credible local sources in dangerous areas which they cannot access for security reasons to give them information.” Still according to Saloua “the journalist must have a contact list in the affected regions which can provide him with information if necessary”.

When the journalist decides to go out into the field, he or she must do so under protection or adopt some basic security skills.

For Lawan Boukar, correspondent for DW in Niger, collecting and processing information in a security crisis situation is very complex. “Journalists are faced with problems accessing sources of information. The defense and security forces do not give information. Often, we have to resort to local sources, that is to say information that comes to us from the populations”, Boukar stressed.

Difficulty verifying information

Another difficulty often encountered by journalists working in conflict zones is the confirmation of certain information. After the attacks, the local assessment can sometimes be different from that given by official sources. “I can cite as an example, an attack carried out by Boko Haram in 2018 in Bosso, which resulted in a hundred terrorists being killed and injuries on the side of the defense and security forces, according to local sources. The official statement from the authorities however reported 43 terrorists killed,” recalled journalist L Boukar.

In 2017, after the attack on Karamga Island (an attack that claimed many lives in the national army), ‘‘it took more than 72 hours for the government to establish the death toll. Meanwhile, 24 hours after the attack, we had the toll from local sources, ” he added.

What does it take to report in conflict zones?

Journalists deployed in these areas are sometimes tagged as accomplices of the security forces and, sometimes, as conspiring with armed terrorist groups. You have to be very seasoned and have a lot of patience to work as a journalist in insecure areas.

“In conflict zones, you should never move or be transported by the Defense and Security Forces in search of information; always use private vehicles to travel outside the villages. It is a way of having the confidence of the people,” advises Boukar, the correspondent of the Kalangou studio.

He adds that one must “use anonymity during interviews in order to reassure those being interviewed, especially when one knows that even the population is not immune from the abuses of Boko Haram and other terrorists”.

In addition to this, journalists working on insecurity issues related to terrorist attacks face several cases of denial of information from some authorities.

False Information: Journalists and security forces collaboration

In Niger, despite the difficulties in accessing information sources, the authorities in charge of the defense ministry have shown their readiness to work with all the actors to facilitate the work of the media. Several meetings brought together security forces, civil society and the media to facilitate communication in times of crisis.

These initiatives were aimed at finding a suitable mechanism that could lessen the persistence of attitudes of mistrust. Journalists and the media are seen in this context as active and strategic players.

“Niger and the West African sub-region have been facing multiple security challenges for several years. In this context, the media are strategic players and their role is decisive in handling security information,” noted Ibrahim Harouna, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Maison de la Presse.

However, in the face of a multifaceted security crisis, several obstacles hinder collaboration between the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and media actors.

“The persistence of attitudes of mistrust between the SDF and media players calls for a reflexion on how to collaborate in order to benefit from the interface and complementarity of the two institutions, so that the population can be informed with professionalism and responsibility on issues of security and defense,” noted Abdoulrazack Idrissa, president of the Association of Journalists for Security and Migration.

To this end, the association recognises the facilitation of exchanges between the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and media actors as key to finding means of collaboration.

For Abdoulrazack Idrissa, who cites the results of a recent survey, “notable among the factors that make this collaboration difficult is the mutual ignorance of the roles and responsibilities of the actors and the low level of understanding of the factors of insecurity that have become very complex and varied. However, the two players now, more than before, have common issues that they must resolve together: fakes-news and information on social networks”.

Conclusion and recommendations

The Defense Forces are very wary of journalists and the media, who for them are in a rush for information and indulge in sensationalism, just for the scoop. For the security forces, these attitudes are especially detrimental to the efforts of defense and security actors and do not always correspond to their principles and operating rules. Here are some recommendations:

To journalists and the media

  • Prioritize security measures in reporting on conflicts.
  • Make sure you are clearly identified by the security forces when reporting to have the protection of the security forces
  • Deal professionally with the victims of terrorist attacks while preserving the sensitivity of the public and the victims.

To the authorities and security forces

  • Facilitate access to information through the media to get the population informed and enabled to contribute to security efforts.
  • Involve the media in briefings on security measures and public awareness.
  • Set up psychological support units for conflict reporters.

To development partners

  • Continue to support journalists and the media on journalistic capacity building on issues of security and asymmetric conflicts.
  • Support media organizations in the collection, processing and dissemination of information.

 

Be Circumspect, Help De-escalate Growing Tension–MFWA to Ghana Media

Kwaku Asante
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Be Circumspect, Help De-escalate Growing Tension–MFWA to Ghana Media

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has observed with deep concern, pieces of inflammatory and inciting content related to the ongoing agitations about the 2020 elections results, that are being published or broadcast by mainstream media. Such contents have included calls for confrontations, incitement to violence, blatant unsubstantiated allegations and other acts that do not bode well for the peace of the country.

So far, the Ghanaian media have played a crucial role in the 2020 electioneering process despite the isolated cases of unprofessional conduct by a few media organisations. Ghanaians have relied on the media for information and education about the electoral process, voting process, collation and declaration of results.

Following the disagreements on the results declared by the Electoral Commission, it is important for all stakeholders, especially the media, to recognise and play the critical roles they must play to maintain the peace of the country. This must be done while recognising the liberties of individuals and groups to use legitimate means to seek redress to concerns and for asserting their rights under the laws of Ghana.

As the main source of information for the people, the media’s role in these critical times of tension is crucial than ever before. Media organisations and journalists need to recognise that their actions and inactions have the greatest potential of contributing to either the peace or instability of the country in these trying times.

Through their actions, the media can either help calm or amplify the tension in the country. We urge the media to act in ways that will ensure the calming of tensions rather than an escalation.

While not encouraging any acts of censorship or self-censorship, we remind the media of their public interest responsibility and the need for them to live up to that responsibility. We further wish to remind the Ghanaian media fraternity of how unprofessional, partisan actions of media organisations and journalists have resulted in violence and ruined peace in some countries.

We, therefore, call on media organisations and journalists in Ghana to help deescalate the growing tension by being very circumspect in what they choose to publish or broadcast and what they allow others to use their platforms to publish or broadcast.  This, the media can do by avoiding the use of and disallowing others from using hate speech, stereotypical comments, inflammatory and provocative remarks, inciting and other indecent expressions and pro-violence language on their networks or in their publications.

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