For over eight years, reporters in the North West region of Cameroon have found themselves navigating a treacherous terrain shaped by conflict, political suspicion, and institutional neglect. On World Press Freedom Day 2025, these challenges were once again laid bare by journalists and their leaders, united not just in commemorating a global cause but in confronting a local crisis that continues to endanger their work and their lives.
Journalists and related media workers in the region are caught in a deadly crossfire. As Nji Ignatius, North West Chapter President of the Cameroon Journalists' Trade Union (CJTU), declared during the commemorations in Bamenda, “the government, in its pursuit of stability, accuses us of siding with separatist rebels. The rebels, in their quest for autonomy, accuse us of aligning with the government.” In such an environment, neutrality becomes a perilous tightrope walk, and truth-telling a dangerous act.
“We are not rebels, nor are we government mouthpieces. We are journalists, bound by a sacred duty to report the facts,” he said.
Yet, that duty comes at a steep cost: threats, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and in the worst cases, death.
This year’s commemoration was sombre, as names of departed media workers were evoked in mourning. These fallen comrades remind the press corps that journalism in Cameroon, particularly in conflict-hit regions, is not merely a profession, it is a battleground. As CJTU National President Marion Obam noted in her address delivered in Bamenda by Vice President Bakah Derick, “this 3rd of May 2025 is marked by worsening violations of democratic gains… The deterioration of press freedom is undeniable, placing our country 130th out of 180 in the 2024 Reporters Without Borders ranking.”
Obam’s message painted a grim picture of a profession under siege not just from bullets and threats, but from systemic abandonment. The print media sector is in crisis, with numerous publications folding and journalists rendered jobless. Governmental neglect, particularly the failure to enforce the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the reduction of the already scant Public Aid to the Private Press, only deepens the crisis. The result is a pauperised media corps struggling to survive even as it shoulders the weighty responsibility of truth-telling in a troubled nation.
The media landscape has also been further complicated by the explosion of social media, which has introduced a deluge of misinformation. This, combined with economic hardship and weak institutional protections, creates a perfect storm where journalists are simultaneously attacked by bad actors and undermined by poor working conditions.
“The intention to use the precarious state of journalists to control the press and undermine democracy is all too clear,” warned Obam.
In response, CJTU is pushing for the creation of a peer regulatory body and renewed government commitments, including salary reviews and better safety guarantees.
However, even in adversity, there are glimmers of hope. CJTU’s North West chapter organised a discussion forum on the day's theme 'reporting in the brave new world: the impact of Artificial Intelligence on press freedom and the media.' The chapter also hosted the 2025 Awards Café, celebrating journalists who continue to excel despite the odds. Among the winners was Wifah Jenevarius Nde, who received the Peterkins Manyong Award for Best News Story on Inclusive Development, Neba Jerome, who won the Fawa Agatha Award for Gender Reporting, the Eric Motumu's Award for the best health news story won by Orla Tita Nki, the Anye Nde Nsoh's Award for the best Local Initiative news story won by Gilla Evardine and Veronica Aji, the Michael Ndi's Award for the best Foreign news story with a local impact clinched by Bakah Derrick and the Manaseh 's Award for emerging young journalist won by Beltus Asanji. These honours are not just commendations, they are affirmations that truth-telling persists even in the darkest of times.
As the event concluded in Bamenda, voices echoed with resolve rather than resignation.
“Let us not be deterred by fear. Let us not be silenced by intimidation. Let us continue to uphold the highest standards of journalistic integrity.” Nji Ignatius urged.
In the face of adversity, Cameroonian journalists stand united, not just for themselves, but for the people whose stories they tell.
The way forward may be fraught, but it is not without direction. Organised struggle, trade union solidarity, and peer-driven accountability offer a path forward for a press corps that refuses to bow to silence.
“Great and noble victories are born of great sacrifices in action.” Obam stated.
For journalists in Cameroon, the fight for press freedom is far from over but neither is their commitment to it.
By Asheri Loveline
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