By David Onwuchekwa
The growing trend of bouncers, police orderlies, and other security aides obstructing journalists from carrying out their duties at public events is both embarrassing and deeply worrisome.
Time and again, reporters who attend events to gather news are barred from entry or denied access to the very personalities they seek to interview. In extreme cases, this obstruction escalates to shoving, intimidation, or even physical attacks, acts that undermine not only the work of journalists but also the public’s right to be informed.
What makes this development more disturbing is that these actions are often carried out in misplaced loyalty to public figures. To see journalists as a threat rather than as partners in nation-building, security details inadvertently deny society the benefit of timely and accurate information.
Too often, reporters are turned away even after clearly identifying themselves. This practice paints a troubling picture of a society where truth-seekers are treated as unwanted intruders.
While one might attribute this behavior to a lack of proper orientation, ignorance cannot continue to be an excuse.
Security personnel must be educated to understand that journalists perform a constitutional duty that safeguards democracy. By obstructing the press, they are not protecting their principals, they are depriving the public of knowledge it deserves.
This overzealousness must stop. Journalists are not criminals; they are the mirror of society. When they are hindered, it is the entire society that suffers from the darkness of withheld information.
Respecting the press is not merely about courtesy, it is about safeguarding the people’s right to know.
