It is a partial black press day in Cameroon this Monday May 4 as most private print media have gone on strike over Government neglect of their sector, a day after the country commemorated the 27th edition of the World Press Freedom Day.
Journalists in Cameroon Sunday May 3 joined their counterparts the world over to commemorate the 27th edition of the World Press Freedom Day under the theme “Journalism without fear or favour”.
On the occasion of this commemoration, the network of Cameroon newspaper publishers met and decided to observe a dead press day nationwide over a certain number of issues crippling their activity in the country.
In a communique issued Tuesday April 28, they cited some ten concerns including State’s refusal to support the resilience of the private press faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and the arbitrary arrest of journalists in the exercise of their function and the maintenance of deprivation of liberty for press offences in contradiction to the standards and international commitments of Cameroon.
The publishers also frowned on the very limited access of private newspapers to public procurement with regards to ad inserts and the increasing decrease of the amount for advertisement and the further unexplained extensions of payment dates for the said advertisements by companies.
English newspapers like The Guardian Post, The Post, the Sun, the Voice, the Advocate, InDepth news, the Reporter, the Green Reporter, Newswatch and French newspapers including Mutations, le Messager, Integration, Info matin to name but these ones are observing the strike action.
Some few ones have ignored the call for the dead press day and provided news stories for their readers.
