The campaign by Cameroonian journalists to secure firm political commitments on the survival of their profession has continued, this time with a focus on the Centre Region. On Thursday 18 September 2025, the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union (CJTU), known in French as Syndicat National des Journalistes du Cameroun (SNJC), held a working session with Ateki Seta Caxton, candidate of the Parti de l’Alliance Libérale (PAL) for the 12 October presidential election.
The exchange, hosted in Yaoundé, brought together CJTU Centre representatives led by regional chapter president Jean Patient Tsala, alongside Deputy Secretary-General Judith Ndongo and Solidarity Secretary Charlie Tchouemou. Members of the PAL campaign team, observers, and other journalists also attended.
Journalists highlighted the weak and outdated legal framework regulating their profession. The 1990 and 2000 media laws do not clearly define the role of journalists, leaving space for misrepresentation, exploitation, and precarious working conditions.
They also raised pressing concerns about insecurity in the field, worsening socio-economic conditions, unfair distribution of advertising revenue, lack of easy access to information, and the shrinking space for press freedom. For CJTU, these realities not only undermine the welfare of practitioners but also the credibility of journalism itself.
In response, Ateki Seta Caxton acknowledged the urgency of revisiting the outdated legislation. He proposed a new law on access to information, arguing that it would strengthen professionalism while addressing the socio-economic problems confronting journalists.
The PAL candidate pledged that, if elected, he would make press freedom a priority of his mandate.
“The journalist is a partner, not an adversary of the authorities,” he stressed, signalling his intent to restore trust between the press and government.
The CJTU delegation welcomed the listening posture of the candidate and described the meeting as constructive. Yet they underlined that commitments must be translated into action. If implemented, reforms such as an access-to-information law could reposition journalism from a fragile, insecure profession to a recognised and protected cornerstone of democracy.
For journalists, this would mean greater safety, fairer access to advertising, and improved working conditions. For citizens, the benefit lies in more accurate, independent, and timely reporting essential for informed democratic participation.
This engagement followed closely on the heels of a similar meeting on 16 September, when CJTU National President Marion Obam led a national delegation to meet with Joshua Osih, leader and presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Front (SDF). That session produced commitments on issues such as implementing the 2008 collective labour agreement and adopting a press protection law.
Together, these encounters show a profession moving from lament to strategy: engaging key presidential candidates and pressing them for concrete reforms. For Cameroonian journalism, the outcome of this push may determine whether the country’s “agonising press” finds new life in the democratic future.
📌Key Takeaways
1. Joshua Osih (SDF) – 16 September 2025, Douala
- Issues Raised:
- Agonising state of the press
- Non-implementation of the 2008 collective labour agreement
- Lack of a press protection law
- Poor working conditions and insecurity for journalists
- Candidate’s Response:
- Recognised challenges and welcomed memorandum
- Promised to integrate CJTU proposals into his programme
- Supported adoption of measures to improve journalist safety and welfare
2. Ateki Seta Caxton (PAL) Р18 September 2025, Yaound̩
- Issues Raised:
- Outdated 1990 & 2000 media laws that fail to define journalists
- Insecurity in the field and precarity of the profession
- Limited access to advertising revenue and official information
- Shrinking press freedom space
- Candidate’s Response:
- Proposed a new law on access to information
- Pledged to make press freedom a priority of his mandate
- Affirmed that journalists are partners, not adversaries of authorities
Why It Matters:
- The CJTU is taking journalists’ grievances directly to candidates ahead of the 12 October 2025 presidential election.
- If commitments translate into reforms, the press could move from survival to stability, strengthening both journalism and democracy in Cameroon.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77
