Media has nothing to fear from govt – Minister

• Urges Judiciary To Ensure Swift Judgment On Journalists’
The Federal Government has said the media have nothing to fear from the government, as it sees media practitioners as partners in progress.

Government also kicked against attacks on and killings of journalists in the line of duty, urging the judiciary to ensure swift judgment for those found guilty of the heinous acts, so that the family and friends of the deceased could take solace in the fact that justice had been duly served.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this, yesterday, at an institutional workshop organised by the ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to mark the World Press Freedom Day in Abuja.

He observed that Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) explained the fundamental human right as the right to freedom of opinion and expression without interference, adding that “the fundamental human right is a key aspect of democracy all over the world and has over the years shaped the development of many countries.”

Mohammed stressed the need to ensure the safety of journalists and equip them for the dynamic and ever-changing technologies.

According to him, this year’s theme, ‘Journalism under Digital Siege,’ beams the searchlight on a key aspect of press freedom – the vulnerability of data brought about by developments in the technological sector – adding that it spotlights the ways in which recent developments in surveillance by state and non-state actors, as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) impact journalism.