By Precious D. Freeman
The Managing Editor for Public Trust Media Group (PTMG), Frank Sainworla, has said, with the increasingly high level of international disorder, journalists around the world must continue their robust and fearless reporting to expose violations of human rights, bad governance, and crimes against humanity perpetrated in every corner of the global village.
Making a presentation at the ongoing African Regional Group Meeting and International Conference of the International Association of Judges (IAJ) on Wednesday in Monrovia, Sainworla mentioned that the role of journalists as the Fourth Estate in a democracy and as watchdogs of society, both jurists and journalists have a mutual responsibility to uphold international rule of law and universal values, enhancing vibrant and independent press and judiciary, while at the same time building a vibrant democracy.
According to him, a strong and vibrant independent media and a strong and vibrant independent judiciary are the linchpin to upholding democracy and promoting international peace and security.
He noted that the US and other judiciaries around the world need to leverage their influence to ensure that the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court’s charters are ratified at home, and they must speak against double standards repeatedly demonstrated by their governments, regarding respect and/or adherence to international rule of law.
“The failure of certain big powers to sign the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), but yet they press for submission to this same court by other nations.”
“Professionally aggressive reporting by international journalists that have continued to exposed issues of gross injustices, war crimes, violations of human rights, and crimes against humanity in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza war, continues to tell us where the world is drifting,” he said.
He continued that such independent reporting flags the urgent need for the world to operate under a rules-based international system where the law of war is respected, whatever their race, creed, color, military might, that they must be held accountable.
“Law and order are taking backstage, while “gunboat diplomacy” and the arms race appear to have now taken center-stage,” he said.
“As a Liberian journalist who has been at a forefront of coverage of news developments in this country during war time and in peace time, I can say that the theme you’ve given me, “The Role of the Media in Enhancing Judicial Independence”, is very relevant at this time. It’s not only crucial in helping to build our fledgling democracy, but to consolidate our fragile peace,” he said.
