Deputy Speaker Blasts Media Practitioners …Says Profession is Polarized By “Bad Apples”

The Press Union of Liberia 55th anniversary orator, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Moye said he has been taken aback by the number of ethical transgressions and falsehoods that permeating the Liberian media landscape by “hired mercenaries pretending to be journalists in Liberia. Delivering keynote message in Bong County during the Union’s 55TH anniversary, Representative Moye said the union especially under the watch of Charles Coffey needs to graduate from just being an umbrella organization to a robust media regulatory body.
“The media landscape in Liberia is slowly becoming polarized by some bad apples and the PUL must take a stand, “ the Deputy Speaker pointed out.
Urging the Liberian media further, he said ; “Members of the media, as you celebrate your founders’ Day, let me remind all of you that we have our separate roles to play void of sentiments, or partiality. The media cannot be used as a platform by some individuals to get government, or private citizens wrongly. It takes away the true essence of an impartial and independent media.”
Representative Moye said, the Fourth Estate, as the Press is often called, is that organ other than the traditional three branches of Government that promotes transparency, challenges, abuse of power, and seeks to protect the Press itself and fundamental civil liberties against other excesses in the use of the public trust.”
Adding, “That a free Press is vital for enhancing the democratic culture; It helps us [public officials] to remain alert as we execute our fiduciary duties and responsibilities”.
“Let me state here that the traditional media landscape of the press wherein the main perpetrator of the crimes against the media was government is changing rapidly as a result of the advent of the internet. Today there is shrinking readership
According to the Bong County representative, there is an ever-growing distribution enabled by the internet and “these are some of the disruptive effects of digital information but” today, personal bloggers crowd the media landscape, filtering and framing information even though few have the time and resources required to perform acts of investigative journalism. Someone’s reputation is destroyed long before the truth can be known”.
He said, in addition to various forms and abuses, there constitute the newest threats to the free press. In order to overcome these, the PUL needs innovation and creativities.
Deputy Moye used the occasion to call on the PUL leadership to readjust itself if it must survive to play its proper role in “fostering our fledgling democratic culture, “adding, “On this 55th Anniversary, I urged you to be innovative and creative.