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The contributions of media in Africa as a forum for the exchange of information and ideas cannot be underestimated. If Africa’s new democracies are to flourish, press freedom is instrumental to bring about such a change. In this regard, African government officials need to be encouraged to provide journalists with access to information. This means civil servants should be honest and prepared to accept criticism which in turn paves the road for confidence building measure thus making it easier for attribution of information necessary for the promotion of freedom of the press. It needs to be stressed here that if Africa is to embark on the path of development, peace and the respect of press freedom and human rights, both African governments and independent media need to come together. Of course, government officials should be accountable to the people who elected them. Hence, they have a responsibility to report to the public on the activities of their government. On the other hand, the independent media also need governments as a source of information for their stories. Politicians need to be tolerant and accept constructive criticism coming from independent media. This will enhance the credibility and reputation of their leadership.
Of course, not everything is plain sailing. In most cases, civil servants do not talk to reporters for fear of misquotation. What is more, the private press is not allowed to attend government press conferences. This can lead to an information vacuum that is to be filled through investigative reporting because the private media should be able to report what the government press has not reported how the government is operating This has been a great barrier of access to the profession for the exercise of freedom of the press in the region because of the consequences that follow.
Although in most African countries the right of access to information is found incorporated in the constitution of the countries, but in reality the provision is not respected. In almost all countries, governments are using all means at their disposal including such laws on sedition, official secret act of criminal defamation in order to impede the operation of journalists thus violating the rights of journalists to collect, receive and impart information.??
Needless to say, Africa is faced with a great challenge of overcoming the problems of poverty, disease and ignorance. These problems can be overcome with the active participation of the peoples of Africa. Active participation of the people presupposes the need to respect the rights of people to freedom of expression for a free exchange of information and ideas.? ???
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On the contrary, the rights of people to free expression and association continue to be violated by most African leaders.?In the face of mounting attacks on the free press by national governments, journalists need to strengthen their regional organizations in order to coordinate their struggle against their governments for the improvement of the status of journalists and the free flow of information. The Internet is an important form of communication for the promotion of freedom of the press. Thanks to information technology, the world has become a global village. The Internet can serve as the best forum for the free exchange of information and ideas. By posting information online, people all over the world can access it so that they can make informed decision. The exchange of information on the Internet encourages journalists to expose authoritarian regimes. After all, such regimes maintain their power by limiting the flow of information. Since information is power, the use of the Internet will help to promote freedom of the press that will strengthen the democratization process in Africa. It is, therefore, important that journalists and media practitioners lobby for increased use of the Internet to champion the basic human rights of the people.
Can Africa afford to keep silent in the face of the violations of human rights? What then is the best way to follow for the to realization of freedom of the press in Africa? A mechanism has to be sought through the very organizations that African leaders have created, namely African Union and the United Nations. It is essential that a Freedom of the Press Commission be set up under the auspices of African Union to oversee the implementation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the rights of people to free expression enshrined in the African Charter on Peoples and Human Rights. Unlike previous committees, the new Commission should be independent and permanent Commission involving journalists, human rights activists and parliamentarians.
Africa would then honor with Press Award the leader of the best country as the Freedom of the Press Man or Woman of the Year at the African Union Headquarter. Such a mechanism will help to create a legal framework for the protection and the defense of the free flow of information and strengthen public confidence in the role of media in democracy in the region. The international community can follow the shadow of the commission for channeling external assistance to the individual African country for the improvements made on the situation of human rights and freedom of the press.
On the other hand, journalists should receive constant training to promote the quality and credibility of their profession by way of combining freedom and responsibility while performing their job. This will solve the problem of who should be recognized as journalist. By so doing national associations of journalists will have a big role to play for setting the standards and professional norms for the respect of editorial independence and journalists’ ethics on the exercise of the profession thereby helping to improve the material and working condition of journalists. At this juncture, it is also essential to underline the role played by the International Press Community in providing African journalists with consultancy and training services in the effort to ensure freedom of the press and the respect of the rights of journalists.
The effort to overcome the obstacles to press freedom and professionalism in African journalism requires the need to build awareness among journalists and policy makers about freedom of expression and human right issues as vital ingredients necessary to build a free and democratic society in which peace and prosperity prevail.??
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Editorials 
