PHOTO: the Author, Journalist Adam Togba
By D. Adam TOGBA
Deputy Director of the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI),
Lower Careysburg, Montserrado County, Liberia
Mobile Phone: 0776125601/0886626025
Email: adamtogba@gmail.com
Without much ado, a general view of the current state of Liberia’s democracy, the nature of a sustainable democracy and the role the media should play in sustaining our democracy are enough to set the basis for this article.
Without a vibrant and free press, other human rights are hard to attain and harder to safeguard. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights grants the right to freedom of opinion and expression to everyone. This right, as stated in Article 19, does not only seek to protect any individual from interference but also includes the right to seek and receive information through the media. Restrictions or limitations to this right breach basic human rights; and, consequently oppose a core value of democracy.
First, let’s weigh or rate the current state of our democracy or governance system in Liberia. Indisputably, Liberia has come a long way in rebuilding state institutions after years of conflict. The current Liberian government inherited a more stable and secured Liberia than that which former President Sirleaf inherited in 2005.
While it is true that this George Weah or CDC-led government is relatively doing well to keep the peace and sustain the democracy, there are still some major drivers of instability that have the propensity to undermine a democratic governance if not given continued due attention. These include deficiencies in the administration of justice; official corruption; land disputes; inter-tribal, inter-ethnic, and inter-religious tensions; poverty coupled with income disparity; and a large youth population disproportionately affected by unemployment and substance abuse.
Nevertheless, the gains are fragile and there is still room for much improvement. Official and systemic corruption drains limited public resources, deters foreign investment, and contributes to a culture in which working in government can be perceived more as a route to self-enrichment than public service. Therefore, there is a continued need for concerted efforts to strengthen institutions critical to democratic governance to ensure improvements are sustained. And the role of the media as major part of the combined efforts is crucial and cannot be ignored, especially when it concerns holding government and stakeholders accountable.
Following contemporary discussions of this subject matter, I view sustainable democracy as an approach that remains open to diversity, promotes wellbeing for citizens and social actors, and advances justice. The notion of sustaining democracy that I adopt foregrounds everyday practical and participatory strategies that are self-consciously tied to a vision of the future which will be more economically equitable, peaceful, inclusive, and socially just.
For a democracy to develop and function sustainably and effectively, every person must be afforded an equal voice in the democratic or political process. Admittedly, the Liberian government was designed to be a representative democracy rather than a direct democracy. Therefore, the voices of individuals must be reflected in the decisions of their elected representatives. Some scholars contend that representatives have little responsibility to their constituents but instead should do whatever is best for the nation as a whole.
And this is when the media should be ready to play major roles and responsibilities in promoting and sustaining democracy. These include the media playing the watchdog role, the media functioning as a civic forum for political debates, and the media serving as agenda setters.
The media playing the watchdog role as one of the responsibilities in sustaining Liberia’s democracy is key to good governance. The press acting as watchdogs is expected to promote government accountability and transparency by exposing corruption, maladministration and abuse of power.
Another important role of the media in sustaining Liberia’s democracy is to function as a civic forum for political debates, facilitating informed citizens’ political knowledge and political efficacy — something my institution, Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI), proudly takes the lead in doing in Liberia. The media provide a public sphere or platform where citizens can discuss issues and events, acting as a channel between the governors and the governed. Viewed in this manner, the media play a critical role in connecting the state and citizens via debates and discussions about major political issues as well as informing the public about the stand of their leaders on such issues.
If channels of communication reflect the cultural and social pluralism and diversity of society, the various opinions and different voices could be represented and heard in public spaces. In this sense, a vibrant and independent press plays vital roles in sustaining Liberia’s democracy.
Moreover, in sustaining Liberia’s democracy, the media play essential role as agenda setters. As agenda setters, the media have the power to set the nation’s agenda and divert public attention to certain key issues. Not only do citizens acquire information about public affairs from the media, but also they learn how much importance to attach to an issue, according to the emphasis the news media have placed on specific issues or events.
The media playing the agenda-setting role in sustaining Liberia’s democracy are ideally expected to inform elected officials about public concerns by raising their awareness on such issues. In this light, the press is considered to play a more important role in highlighting crucial issues, which require urgent action taken by the national government or the international community.
Our country, Liberia, still enjoys press freedoms that many parts of the world lack. Journalists are not threatened with death for doing their job. But still, the degree of freedom calls for concerns because bullying the press with threats or insults only work to weaken our democracy. Legal harassment, intimidation, political pressure, and violence all contribute to the dire conditions under which journalists work throughout Liberia.
A vibrant and free press is critical to sustaining the rule of law. The transparency that journalism brings to events makes government work better, decreases the risk of corruption and ultimately makes our nation safer. Lawyers often use information uncovered by journalists to prosecute wrongdoing, to hold officials accountable, and to rectify injustices.
Accordingly, freedom of the press is important not just to protect reporters and the news media, but to protect our rights to have access to the information we need to make decisions about our government.
The absence of a free and unfettered press has dire consequences. As former U. S. Senator John McCain said on February 20, 2017 on CNN: “If you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press. And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time…”
Indeed, independent media are crucial for developing and sustaining democracy. Therefore, for Liberia to be recognized as a genuine democracy, the country must remove the barriers to freedom of the news media and embrace free press as vital to the enhancement of sustainable democracy. At the same time, the press is expected to fulfill its journalistic responsibilities dutifully and respectfully.