Monrovia – Ahead of the October elections, Media Development Initiatives-Liberia (MDI-L) is cautioning media institutions to be professional in their reportage, adding that it foresees trouble in the 2017 elections if the Liberian media diverts from objectivity by failing to perform its role as “twins’ mother” in society.
Report by Augustine T. Tweh – [email protected]
According to Sylvester W. Korwor, the Executive Director of the media group, it is becoming risky for the state as journalists gradually divert from ethical journalism and become what he called a mouth-piece for politicians and political parties instead of being neutral in the discharge of their duty.
The Executive Director said his institution has observed over the years that journalists are deviating from their ethics because the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) is reluctant in reacting to the bridge of ethics by media practitioners.
“As a media training group, we want the PUL to immediately and unconditionally curtail the act of ethical transgression by binding untrained or unprofessional journalist from practicing. Those journalists who cannot prove to be professionals must not be allowed to work in the field” he said.
The MDI-L boss expressed dismay over journalists declaring open support to political parties and aspirants on radio talk show, something he said jeopardizes the country’s peace as we move to the elections.
He further added that as part of the MDI-L mission to develop the Liberian media, it has embarked on training young media practitioners across the country, asserting that the institution has graduated thirty students from over sixteen high schools in intensive journalism training over the course of four-months.
“We have graduated thirty students from over sixteen schools across Paynesville and we hoping to graduate more students provided if more schools take advantage of the training by sending their students to form part of the process” he noted.
He also disclosed that the second phase of the training will begin in September of this year, with a call on school administrators and parents to take advantage of the opportunity by allowing their children to form part of the workshop.
“The second cycle of our training will begin September of this year, so we are calling on parents and school administrators to make use of this opportunity by forming part of this upcoming workshop. We remain committed in supporting the PUL improve the media scope of Liberia” he averred.