The first female Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, Mrs. Archibong Bassey, has reacted to the recent ranking of Cross River State as the safest state for journalists in Nigeria.
The ranking was contained in the 2024 “State of Press Freedom in Nigeria” report published by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
In an interview with Calabargist, Mrs. Archibong expressed her satisfaction with the findings, affirming that journalists in Cross River have indeed enjoyed a high level of press freedom across the electronic, print, and online media sectors. She described the relationship between the media and the government as “robust and respectful.”
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“Journalists in the state can freely approach government agencies for information without fear of harassment or intimidation,” Archibong noted. “As NUJ Chairperson in Cross River, I deeply appreciate the efforts of the state government, led by His Excellency Senator Bassey Edet Otu, for fostering a media-friendly environment and ensuring the safety of journalists practicing in the state.”
While acknowledging the positive strides, she also highlighted a few challenges, stating that “some agencies still show reluctance in cooperating with journalists or granting access to information,” but maintained that such cases are minimal and do not overshadow the broader progress made.
She concluded by thanking the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development for their thorough and credible report, adding that the findings accurately reflect the state of press freedom in Cross River.
