Monrovia- Mr. Charles Cuffey, President of the Press Union of Liberia has slammed the recent attacks on the Roots FM radio station while challenging media institutions during a news conference at the journalists’ organization’s headquarters Monday to conform in line with the Code of Ethics of the union.
Report by Alline Dunbar,
The union leader stressed that if anyone having issues with Roots FM could have used the proper channel to address their concerns instead of launching an attack. “Going to media institutions cutting wires as citizens when we have some concern is not good and in the same vain the ethical principles of the union are key. “One of the provisions which
Moreover Mr. Cuffey stated that Journalism is not about confusion but rather of Truth telling. “There is no history in Liberia that the war we experienced was created by Journalists. Thus, our role as journalists is to lift the potential of our people from the ashes of war to economic viability”, the PUL president said.
Mr. Cuffey without naming names, cautioned journalists against using profanities on the radio. “The kids are going to school and it is a general warning and a bridge of our ethics to use the media whether in the print or radio to engage in acts of indecent expressions capable of creating confusion in this country.”
The PUL boss however urged those media practitioners found in the habit of using their platforms to spit profanities to desist from the act. “Be it government official, individual citizens and even journalists themselves,”
Asked why he did not name and shame the media institution(s) practicing unethical Journalism, Mr. Cuffey insisted that he was not calling names but rather the press conference was serving as a warning to media practitioners constantly in the act of engaging in profanities.
Mr. Cuffey at the same time admonished journalists to do their job without fear or favor. “What we are concerned about is objectivity, fairness, comprehensiveness and investigate matters in the interest of the people”. “You have to be critical; we need critical voices and an independent media that is very critical but at the same time being very professional,” Mr. Cuffey declared.
In his parting comments, the PUL boss stated that although 2018 was a difficult time for the Liberian Media due to the number of inflammatory comments against the media it is important that the media continue to report because the media is partly free as a result of the penal laws that is still on the books as well as sedition, criminal malevolence and libel against the president”.
