The major news network in America are refusing to broadcast some of the claims of President Trump that they deem “unsubstantiated”, with the realization that incendiary language from any politician at such polarized time for American democracy can be combustible (lead to violence).
Even the alternative means of communication he has available to him, social media, have flagged some of the President’s comments or removed the ones regarded to be untrue or potentially dangerous.
In Liberia, however, a nation still reeling from the effects of intractable conflict, some media houses would do quite the opposite! They will instead take their mics to the leading proponents of chaos, lies and insults, the likes of Yekeh Kolubah, and then gladly broadcast the LIES and INSULTS to their tens of thousands of audiences, including those without the ability to fully discern – the uneducated!
Journalists have co-responsibility for the maintenance of law and order, as are other state institutions. They ought NOT to shirk that patriotic duty. It shouldn’t be only about the headline, even if it leads to violence and chaos. The U.S. election should be a teachable moment for Liberian journalism.
The country has come a long way since the civil war, surpassing every prediction that it could have relapsed into a war situation. It however held firm on the road to a solid democracy, successfully holding several major elections that many feared would have taken us to the precipitous.
But the triggers of conflict remain; that’s why the role of the media is crucial. Like the ones in the U.S., the media in Liberia must not fan the flames of division and hate; or allowed themselves to be hoodwinked by politicians with vested interest. Journalists have a duty to ensure a stable environment for all, including themselves, to operate.