The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has urged journalists in Africa to continue the relentless fight against various forms of oppression this year.

“We know the crisis of sustainability facing our profession and industry. We know about the challenges posed by what has become known as fake news. We know of the challenge of dwindling public trust for the media. We certainly know about the challenge of the different forms of oppression by governments and organised groups around the continent. And we definitely know of the challenge of our safety as we go about doing our work.

 “The challenges may be many, but let us always remember that we face such arduous challenges not because we seek to enrich ourselves. It is because of the importance of our work to society and the threat we pose to those who seek to thrive on corruption and exploitation. We should, thus, remember that one best way to confront these challenges is by continuing to serve the interest of the people in the best of ways. This we can achieve through fearless, accurate, fair, factual and balanced reporting that expose the misdeeds of leadership against the welfare of the suffering masses,” the media rights organisation said in a New Year message.

The full statement is published below.