Journalists in Cameroon have been urged to play a significant role in promoting informed choices and fostering unity among citizens as the country gears towards presidential, legislative, and municipal elections in 2025.
The call was made by Joseph Kalabubsu, President of the National Communication Council (NCC), during the second media conclave held on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
With the upcoming 2025 elections across various levels of government in Cameroon, Kalabubsu emphasised the crucial role journalists play in shaping public opinion and ensuring transparent electoral processes.
“The press is a key actor and will be expected to help Cameroonians make informed choices and also to get the public to realise that we have every reason to belong to the same country and enjoy our citizenship without rancour,” Kalabubsu stated.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by journalists in the Anglophone Regions, Kalabubsu emphasised the importance of respecting journalistic principles and ethics.
He called for the dissemination of credible information, both offline and online, to provide citizens with alternative and reliable sources of news.
“In doing that, the journalist will provide an alternative source of information and a credible source of information. We want journalists to publish online so that those who go online for information can find credible information as well,” Kalabubsu added.
The second media conclave, organised by Civil Initiatives for Development with Integrity (CIDI), aimed to bring journalists together to discuss their coverage agenda and explore ways to contribute to peaceful and successful elections.
Founder Epie Victor Ngome highlighted the importance of responsible journalism in shaping public discourse and finding solutions to the Anglophone crisis.
“We thought that it was necessary to bring journalists together to look at the coverage agenda they have so that we can work responsibly to make sure that we can contribute to making those elections bring the results they expect without any warfare or problems like that.
“We are also looking at the Anglophone crisis, and so it was important for knowledgeable people in the media to come together and see what contribution the media is making or could make to ensure that they can contribute to finding a home ground solution to the crisis,” Ngome explained.
As part of the conclave’s activities, four journalists were honoured with the Probity Award for their exemplary work in promoting integrity and ethical standards in journalism.
