Akwa Ibom State Journalists’ Reaction to the Freedom of Information Act

Access to information is vital to the journalism profession. Nigerian journalists have over the years been practicing in an environment that is bedeviled with the dearth of information that should have been a public right, but the enactment of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in 2011 has paved the way for everyone hopefully, to get access to information on request. This study set out to find out the level of awareness of the provisions of FOI by journalists in AkwaIbomState and to find out the impression journalists in AkwaIbomState have about FOI Act. The study also investigated the experience of practicing journalists in AkwaIbomState since the FOI came into force as well as the perception of journalists in AkwaIbomState with regards to the enforcement/compliance with the provisions of the FOI. The Anchoring this study on the Libertarian or free press and the social responsibility theories, the survey method was adopted to investigate the reaction of Akwa Ibom State Journalists as regards the Freedom of Information Act. A total of 166 copies of the questionnaire were distributed in Nine Chapels of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state. Data collected showed that many journalists have not read the FOI Act, but are aware of its enactment. Among those who have read the Act, inaccessibility to information still prevails as journalists are still faced with the challenge of accessing information both in private and government institutions. It also shows that the benefits of the FOI Act is that of freedom of expression, press freedom and right to access information which is the hallmark of the FOI Act as there is a euphoric response by Akwa Ibom state journalists to the enactment of the Act as they wait to utilize its provisions. The study therefore recommends that journalists should read the FOI Act, sensitization about the FOI Act should be conducted, public officers should update all information in their custody so as to facilitate easy and rapid release of information when requested, the right of access to information should be enjoyed by everyone and the FOI Act should be enforced.