Nigerian Journalists Remain Endangered Species'- Orok Nsikak

 Nigerian Journalists Remain Endangered Species'- Orok Nsikak

...Orok Bags Award of Recognition

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Editor in Chief, Roamreporters Online, Innocent Nsikak Orok has said that Nigeria Journalists remain endangered species in as much they operate in an environment constituted with oppressive leaders.

Speaking at the 2023 Safety of Journalists Symposium held on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at LCCI Alausa, Lagos State with the theme "Mitigating Online Violence Against Journalists in Nigeria", Orok stressed that journalism profession pride itself as the ‘Fourth Estate of the Realm’ with only his pen as weapon, while others in the ‘Estate’- the Executives, Legislature and Judiciary controls  the instruments of Force, Power of the State.

“In such an unbalanced system and when compared with the characters at the corridors of power, then the pen will surely not be mightier than the sword, because the characters in power have designed strategies, means and ways of attacks, intimidation, frustration and use of State powers to suppress the might of the Pen,” he said.

Making reference to several attacks targeted on journalists globally, Orok said Armed Conflicts Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded 520 attacks against journalists in 2022 as against 460 in 2021.

He also said that the International Press Centre (IPC) recently revealed a data depicting a total of 66 Nigerian journalists and three Media houses suffered various forms of attacks in 2022 in the course of discharging their duties.

In view of the aforementioned, Orok maintained that as trained and practicing media men, journalists must for the purpose of mitigating the threats and violence against them, apply the strategy of what he referred to as 'the famous Eneke, the bird, who learn to fly without perching since the hunter has learnt to shoot without missing.

"In view of several attacks and other odd experiences encountered by journalists, Journalists should endeavour to understand their respective beats/sectors very well before publishing any controversial story, especially when it has to do with figures and data.

"With the season of cloning and falsification of documents, planting and photo shopping of photos and videos, avoid being tricked into reporting stories that are not fact checked," he said.

He concluded appreciating the organisers of the event- the Management and Board of Media Centre for Promotion of Safety Awareness; publishers of Safety and Security Watch;  especially Dr Chinyere.

" Thank you for being able to put up the thought provoking and strategic thinking programme for Journalists as a way to mitigate the dangers of the profession, especially in an era where technology is changing the traditional communication methods as well as bridging the time and distance which were hitherto limiting factors in communication."