-PUL Media Alert Report out
By William Selmah wselmah@gmail.com
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has released its Fourth Quarterly Media Alert Report covering January to March 2018.
The report which tracks and documents attacks and threats against journalists and media workers in Liberia shows that state actors were mostly responsible for most of the verbal and physical assaults on journalists.
It says the most high profile incident is the one with President George Weah against BBC Correspondent Jonathan Paylay-leh who had asked President about his position on the setting up of a war crimes court in Liberia on March 22, 2018.
He responded by saying that the journalists had undermined his peace and human rights initiatives during the civil war by portraying a positive image of the crisis through his reportage.
The report said President Weah’s verbal outburst against Mr. Paye-Layleh in the presence of international guests and the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed, questions his professed commitment to upholding press freedom and freedom of expression.
The PUL Media Alert Report also captured physical attacks against other journalists including Henry Karmo of Frontpage Africa, said to have been verbally and physically attacked by Montserrado County Representative Munah Pelham Youngblood.
It followed publication of a story that appeared rather embarrassing to the lawmaker, as it questioned what was seen then seen as her dual of a lawmaker and Chief of Protocol especially during the President’s State of the Nation Address.
Other journalists mentioned as having come under attack during the reporting period were Sylvester Worwee of Fabric Radio, who was slapped by a soldier of the Armed Forces of Liberia for failing to answer him while he was making a phone call in the Kesselly Boulevard community on February 23, 2018.
Officer Isaac Duo, alias Sergeant Natt, has since apologized to the journalists after the PUL condemned his act.
Other government officials mentioned in the report as having verbally attacked the media are Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs, Eugene Fahgon, Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel Tweah and Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson Koijee.
The only physical attack against a journalist said to have been committed by a private individual was the one against reporter Sylvester Choloplay of FABRIC Radio, after he had gone to investigate complaints of health hazards resulting from activities of the Somalia Drive Slaughter House commonly known as Cow Factory on February 15, 2018.
The Service Manager of the Slaughter House is said to have planted men on the journalist who tried to seize his recorder with the sole purpose of deleting interviews he had conducted, in the process, damaging his equipment.
This Alert Report covers the period between January and March of 2018 and marks the First Anniversary of the tracking of attacks and threats against journalists. Tyron Brown’s death last April is not therefore covered under the current reporting period.
The tracking process is part of ongoing Media Development Program by the PUL with support from USAID/INTERNEWS and other media development partners, born out of the desire to critically collate, document and analyze attacks, threats and intimidation of journalists.
It also documents the operating environment of the media in Liberia.