KAMPALA – The Eastern Africa Editors Forum (EAEF), an umbrella body of editor organisations in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, is on Sunday, May 3, 2020, set hold an online meeting to devise ways of ensuring safety and facilitation of journalists.
In a statement, EAEF said that the meeting seeks to compel governments and media organisations to play their roles in ensuring a conducive work environment for journalists.
The 2020 edition of the World Press Freedom Day presents EAEF a chance to engage all editors in the region, and
media stakeholders, on the key issue on how to protect journalism.
“The safety and security of journalists is key to the health, quality, credibility and survival of media and journalism in any state,” the editors said.
“While the State is often responsible for the security of its citizens and institutions, including the media and journalists and those working in the media sector, media organisations have a greater responsibility of ensuring their people, especially journalists, work in a secure and safe environment,” they added.
Safety and security in this context demand that journalists work in an environment free of physical or psychological threats, intimidation or harassment; that they are free to do their
work in service to citizens; and that their needs – personal and professional including adequate compensation, insurance, protection against sexual harassment at work or online,
etc. – are taken care of, the editors added.
EAEF said that the media, for example, need resources to ensure their journalists
are properly resourced and facilitated, and that they work in a conducive environment.
“Journalists need protection from offline and online threats, including hacking. News sources must be adequately protected journalists need to be safe from threats posed by various factors, including trauma. In short, both the state and media houses have the responsibility to ensure journalists are safe and
secure at all times, both on and off duty,” EAEF added.
The Eastern Africa Editors Forum will hold the virtual meeting, under the overarching theme for this year’s Unesco World Press Freedom Day –
Journalism Without Fear or Favour.
The meeting will be guided by the following objectives;
1. Provide a platform for the examination of the media discuss the safety and security concerns of both the media and journalists in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania
3. Make recommendations on how to strengthen media landscape in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda.
4. Make recommendations on how to enhance the safety and security of both the media and journalists in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda.
The discussion will be held virtually on Sunday, May 3rd, 2020 at 11am (East Africa Time).
Journalists and media stakeholders interested in attending the virtual meeting are invited to register at: https://bit.ly/editorsforum
Key contacts
Daniel Kalinaki, Chairman
Uganda Editors Guild
Deodatus Balile, Chairman
Tanzania Editors Forum
Bruh Y. Mengistu, Vice Chairman
Ethiopia Editors Guild
Churchill Otieno, President
Kenya Editors Guild
