Communication minister urges journalists to play part in preservation of planet.

This year’s World Press Freedom Day was commemorated under the theme: “A press for the planet: Journalism in the face of environmental crisis”.

In his statement, Minister Sadi acknowledged that the day not only serves as a reminder to governments on the need to respect their commitment to press freedom, but also for the entire media community to reflect on issues relating to its fundamental duties, and more particularly, to respect ethics and deontology in the exercise of their profession.

He then indicated that the 31st edition of WPFD serves as a clarion call for media in Cameroon and beyond, to play their part in the must-wage campaign to slow down, or halt the growing and frightening effect of climate change.

“The environmental crisis is not a fiction, but a reality whose effects we are seeing, experiencing and feeling in our country and around the world,” he stated, adding that “for media professionals, it's a question of facing up to this danger that threatens us and contributing… to the collective effort undertaken by the State to preserve our environment”.

States gov’t’s commitment

While highlighting the major threats to humanity posed by the environmental crisis, Minister Rene Sadi reiterated government’s commitment to fighting climate change.

“Cameroon's commitment to the environmental cause remains constant,” he declared, adding that government has been actively participating in national and international meetings on climate change.

He affirmed that: “After signing up on July 23, 2002 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, also known as the “Kyoto Protocol”, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, our country has regularly taken part in the various conferences of the signatory states of the aforementioned convention, during which the degree of implementation of the commitments made by states to combat climate disruption is examined”.

“At each of these events, Cameroon has made its voice heard, calling for the urgent need to preserve the planet for present and future generations through sustainable solutions,” he added.

According to the minister, government’s commitment is imperative, given that the dissemination of misinformation or disinformation on the causes and consequences of climate change may sow doubt among populations and jeopardise efforts undertaken by states in facing the ever-growing peril.

State of media in Cameroon

Going by the Rene Sadi, the celebration of WPFD 2024 also gives the opportunity to take a retrospective look at the evolution and the state of the media in the country.

He said for the past 30 years, Cameroon embarked on the path of building a free and independent press through the passing of the December 19, 1990, law on freedom of social communication.

“Thanks to these legal and institutional advances, our country now enjoys a more than appreciable degree of media pluralism and freedom of tone in the media, with no restrictions other than those dictated by the relevant professional rules,” Minister Rene Sadi said.

Stating that journalists in Cameroon exercise their profession in complete freedom and independence, he regretted the recent recurrence of some dysfunctions and abuses in the Cameroonian media landscape such as defamation, insult and other unjustified attacks on honour and dignity of some personalities and institutions. 

Warns against rising hate speech 

The minister also drew the attention of the press on the inflation of hate language on media platforms as well as the misuse of social networks in contemporary times. 

“We can also deplore the transformation of radio and TV talk shows into veritable courts of law, where, on a daily basis and in full view of the public, sentences are handed down that are more often than not arbitrary and unappealable,” he stated.

Advocating increase on media subsidy

Though operating in a free environment, Minister Rene Sadi stressed that the main challenge of the Cameroonian press is improving its conditions of economic viability.

With regards to this, he mentioned that government has embarked on a series of reforms aimed in particular at continuing to “advocate a substantial increase in the budget earmarked for the state’s institutional support of privately-owned media”.

He added that government also embarked on the process of setting up a Special Audiovisual Development Fund, which is in line with the implementation of Law N°2015/007 of April 15, 2015, governing the audiovisual sector in Cameroon.