EVERY DEMOCRATIC NATION NEEDS the media to foster good governance and this is why the free media is considered the watchdog of the society. Journalism and its practitioners must be committed to upholding the principles of democracy for the development of its people and country. And the job of the media can only be effectuated without fear or favor with love for country at the core of this task at hand.
AT FRONTPAGE AFRICA, WE ARE COGNIZANT about the tenants of journalism and the tasks therein. We know what we must do to contribute toward the nurturing of our fragile but progressive democracy. We are also aware of the enormous challenges that have kept the prosperity of our nation in shackles and will not turn a blind eye only because we are afraid or jittery of stepping on the toes of some politicians or so-called powerful despots.
IN A COUNTRY LIKE Liberia where corruption and abuse of power are extremely entrenched, a free and independent media is pivotal to promoting good governance. As journalists, we are knowledgeable of the consequences thereof.
WE WILL NEVER PRETEND that we do not expect the barrage of criticisms targeted against us by sycophants and surrogates of ill-hearted politicians who want to a free passage while squandering public resources at the detriment of Liberians. Others are just too much of blind loyalists who would even ignore the reality of our reports even if the details were written from the Holy Bible or the Holy Koran.
SINCE THE INCEPTION OF PRESIDENT GEORGE Manneh Weah’s administration many cronies of corrupt officials bent on perpetrating their egocentric motives, have dubbed our work as ‘OPPOSITION’ to the government and are paddling with falsehood against the principles and values that we uphold as journalists.
WE ARE AWARE THAT these reproaches come from individuals who want to rip-off our country or are either sycophant that don’t appreciate telling truth to power. As Liberia’s premiere investigative newspaper, we have unearthed and reported many stories that had the propensity of aiding the new administration in fixing our broken system. Fixing Liberia’s broken system requires having all hands on deck and we believe the media should be allowed to play its role tirelessly to ensure that the government takes appropriate decision for the interest of all Liberians.
WHILE WE ARE NOT AFRAID to be criticized we, however, want to state here emphatically that our work is only dedicated to ensuring that this country becomes a better one in the comity of nations. We are very abreast of the challenges that the Weah-led government has inherited and we MUST work as JOURNALISTS to help checkmate and enlighten the President, which we are sure would obviously lead to good governance and the subsequent development of the country.
MANY OF OUR ARTICLES PUBLISHED since the turn of the year have sparked public debate, but at the same time prompting the new government of President Weah to take some applaudable actions. All we anticipated as we investigated and penned those articles was the good of our motherland in mind. Reports about the selling of government vehicles despite a moratorium, the appointment of individuals with tinted and integrity issues and the absence of a visible blueprint for the government’s 150 days short term plan, just to name a few, were all gear toward checkmating the administration to ensure it doesn’t thread in the wrong path of its predecessor.
WE ARE NOT INTERESTED in forming a trend of opposing the government or antagonizing the Weah’s presidency as perceived by myopic and sycophantic individuals, but we remain unflinchingly committed to helping the government avert missteps of the past that have entrapped our country and plunged our economy into tatters.
WE ARE NOT CLAIMING SELF-VICTORY or trumpeting our own horn but we think the President needs the media to help him run this country better regardless the inklings about his administrative inaptitude.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT LIBERIAN POLITICS is often filled with servility and greed, some officials of government who probably have the ears of the president would remain taciturn if the President is making erroneous moves. We have witnessed this scenario before and like any patriotic Liberian, we will exert all our efforts to avoid recurrences. As an independent media, we will never negate our duty: speaking truth to power and reporting the ills of our society – were what we sign up to as members of the Fourth Estate.
WE REJECT THE CHARACTERIZATION of being an opposition to the government; we are rather journalists that would never relent to see Liberia transcend into a country where opportunities are allotted to the privileged few while the majority of our compatriots linger in abject poverty and destitute.
WE ARE NOT POLITICIANS OR OPPOSITIONS; we are journalists working to see our country become better and if we must be branded ridiculous names because we chose this job, then for this cause we shall never wither.