By Joseph Tumbey
The Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP) and the Media Foundation for West Africa with funding from the Embassy of the Netherlands Based in Ghana conducted a day long National Forum on Media Professionalism and Safety of Journalism in Liberia.
Speaking at the Forum on Wednesday June 14 this year at the ICampus in Monrovia, Mr. Macolm Joseph, CEMESP Executive Director noted that Liberian security forces have committed acts of harassment, assaults, or detention against several journalists, while in line of their reportorial duties.
” Reports show that since early 2020, Liberian security forces have committed acts of harassment, assaults, or detention against several journalists, while in the line of their reportorial duties. Police arrested and detained for 12 hours, Methuselah Gaye, a journalist with the privately owned Fabric Radio broadcaster, at his home in Yarpah Town, in south-central Liberia’s Rivercess County on February 13, 2020.
Also, journalists Aryee Davis and Salam Kaloko were on March 3, 2020 harassed, beaten and detained by personnel of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) while they were covering a protest in support of a proposed war crimes court in Monrovia.
On March 4, 2020, at about 8 p.m. Benjamin Quaye Johnson, a reporter with the privately owned Cyclone Newspaper, was detained by officers of the Executive Protection Service in the township of Gardnersville, while he was reporting on the alleged shooting of a woman by an EPS Officer. He was held overnight”. Mr. Joseph disclosed.
According to him, the State security forces also assaulted or detained three other journalists in connection to their work in the same year, 2020. The journalists were Christopher Walker, an editor with Front Page Africa newspaper, Kolubah Akoi, a reporter with the local broadcaster Radio Kintoma in Lofa County, and Zenu Miller of OK FM who died three weeks following the alleged assault on him by members of the EPS.
Meanwhile, CEMESP Executive Director applauded the government for showing some support toward media freedom, by strengthening the provision of foundational principles that guarantee the rights to exercise freedom of speech in a form and manner consistent with international best practices.
Mr. Joseph maintains that In 2018, as a part of improving the legal and regulatory environment for freedom of expression, the government repealed the law on sedition and defamation.
He further stated, the government adopted the Freedom of Information Law and the establishment of the Independent Information Commission in 2010.
“In September, 2022, Liberia was ranked 75/180 on the World Press Index, an improvement from 2021, when it ranked 98/180.
The Liberian media has the onerous task of raising difficult questions on behalf of the people of Liberia on whether key governance institutions are performing as per statute to improve the lives of ordinary Liberians and to achieve the objectives set out in the government’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD)”, CEMESPExecutiveDirector Macolm Joseph asserted.
Presenting the Keynote address, the Chairman of the Committee on Information and Broadcasting at the House of the Liberia Senate, Senator Jonathan BoyCharles Sogbie warned journalists to avoid writing or Broadcasting opinions, spreading disinformation and misinformation in order to keep the society safe.
“Elections are on hand as we are going through a very difficult period in Liberia, the manner in which you do your report is the way our people react. don’t talk for me let me talk for myself and take responsibility “, Senator Sogbie disclosed.
Also in a Special remark, the Vice President of the press Union of Liberia, Mr. Daniel Nyakonah expressed a serious disappointment in the Political media ownership and alarms that it has become a major problem that is seriously affecting Liberia media landscape.
“We will keep our eyes on Nimba district #7 and Lofa district #1 to shame them for their unprofessional attitude by using their platforms to carry on political attacks against each other.
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