US lines up events to commemorate press freedom in Nigeria

The United States of America (USA) has scheduled a number of events for the commemoration of this year’s World Press Freedom Day next month. A press statement by the US Embassy yesterday in Abuja said the week-long activities would begin on May 2, “when the embassy will host a screening and panel discussion on an investigative movie entitled The Insider.”
“The Insider” is a fictionalised account of the true story of a man who decided to tell the world what the seven major tobacco companies in the world knew and concealed about the dangers of their product.
In one of the events, according to the statement, an American journalist and photographer, Linda Hervieux, would speak on “The Role of Media in Holding Government Accountable” and “The Impact of Hate Speech on Press Freedom.” She is also billed to interact with journalism students at the International Institute of Journalism to discuss “Ethics in Journalism: Combating Fake News.”
U.S. Ambassador, Stuart Symington, and the U.S. Embassy Counsellor for Public Affairs, Mr. Aruna Amirthanayagam, are also scheduled to give remarks at some of the events. The statement added that federal government officials, journalists, students and members of civil society organisations are also expected at the events.