Publishers Impose Blackout on Micat, MPC

21 June 2011

No Liberian doubts that the October 2011 presidential and legislatives elections are watershed and therefore need to be conducted with all necessary tact and ruth. However, it appears that those engaged with the elections either have not thought of the required general deportment or agreed on what must be the unspoken rules for the political game befitting a watershed election. As the result, some political institutions have allowed themselves a little laxity: vilifying opponents, diverting the trajectory of society, and hoping to be awarded state power at the end of the game. The Publishers Association (PAL) does not think that is a path to a tactful, watershed election and it is calling for propriety, beginning with news blackout on the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT) and the opposition Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) and its leaders. The Analyst, reports.

PAL and several electronic media institutions in the country say unless MICAT and MPC refrain from gutter politics and the creation of unnecessary tension in society by vilifying opponents, no newspaper or collaborating radio/TV station in the country will report on their activities and programs.

The media institutions say the news blackout takes immediate effect as of June 17, 2011 and will continue until they are satisfied that the two institutions have made amends and resolved to keep to the rule of decent politics that is edifying.

They say the blackout is intended to ensure that the October elections are conducted under a serene political atmosphere characterized by maturity, mutual respect despite political differences, adherence to the rule of electioneering politics, and adult discussions and debates on the way forward for the country.

The media institutions say they will therefore not hesitate for a moment to take similar action against any political party or public institution that will henceforth engage in selfish rancor for its own sake and to the detriment of the success of the ensuing elections.

The media institutions’ assertions and sanction announcement were contained in a press statement PAL issued over the weekend under the signature of 12 newspaper publishers and managing editors/publishers.

Those who signed the blackout were Philip N. Wesseh, managing editor, The Inquirer; Philibert S. Browne, managing editor, National Chronicle; Stanley Seakor, managing editor, The Analyst; and Mohammed M. Kanneh, managing editor, The Heritage.

Others were Sam O. Dean, publisher, The Independent;  Darkollie Sumo, managing editor, The Informer; James G. Kiazolu, publisher, The Liberian Express; Robert Kpadeh, publisher, Parrot; and Alphonso Toweh, publisher, New Republic.

Still others were T. Max Jlateh, vice president, Sky FM/TV; Ade Wede Kekuleh, station manager, Radio VERITAS; and Mary Williams, general manager, Renaissance Communications Inc.

MPC’s sin

“The decision stems from the fact that it has observed with consternation and indignation the unprecedented raining of chilling insults on the Liberian presidency by Mr. Freeman and his MPC team,” a PAL press statement announcing the joint media action said in efforts to justify the sanction against MPC.

PAL said the media was not against healthy debates between the governing party and the opposition regarding the best way forward for the country or arguments about who is more capable – as it cherishes free speech.

What it said it was against, the release said, was what PAL called the lack of “organic respect and courtesy for the office of the presidency” as allegedly exhibited by Mr. Simeon Freeman and his MPC.

The publishers association what MPC needed to realize was that free speech was not totally free as there was a string of responsibility and respect for constituted authority attached to it, which all those who desire to exercise it, must observe.

“But quite to the contrary, Mr. Freeman and his team at the MPC are sadly abusing this right to the extreme and must be called to order NOW. PAL says it is alarmed and appalled by the kinds of profanities being poured on the Liberian Presidency in the public and international glare,” the publishers said in the release.

The release said Mr. Freeman and his MPC would do themselves a huge service were he to contact his lawyers to handle the sex scandal he was involved in, rather blaming his legal entanglement on perceived political conspiracy thereby creating unnecessary tension.

“Therefore, the BLOCKOUT on Mr. Freeman and his MPC party remains indefinite until they change their distasteful course of action and show some remorse for the ‘UNHOLY’ words used on the presidency,” PAL said.

The media institutions said MICAT was equally guilty on two counts – engaging in name-calling loosely and issuing threats while playing the spokesman for ruling Unity Party.

MICAT’s sin

“In the same regard, the PAL is also with immediate effect imposing a one-month media blackout on the Information Ministry for repeatedly raining insults on opposition politicians and other Liberians with dissenting opinions,” PAL said.

The media group said what surprised it most was the name-calling and mudslinging MICAT was engaged in, in total disregard of its responsibility as a government institution responsible for relating to the public maturely, and branding opposition elements as ‘political dog’ and ‘political janjaweed’ and vowing to ‘go gutter’.

“We state in no uncertain terms that the Information Ministry cannot and must not be reduced to a ‘Propaganda Bureau’ for the Unity Party (UP) when it is financed by public funds to disseminate government’s policy information to the Liberian people,” PAL said without giving instances of such subordination.

It however warned MICAT to disengage from this “ugly posture and perform in keeping with its statutory responsibility”.

It said all media and political institutions in the country were under moral and other obligations to maintain and sustain the peace Liberia was enjoying by ensuring that the 2011 elections were peaceful and success.

PAL said it was only then that the smooth political transition, which is crucial and critical to Liberia’s democratization, economic recovery, and reconstruction, would take place.

“As such, people at the MICAT must be the [pacesetters] and not the ones instigating unnecessary tension that could possibly drag the country into another mess and shatter the gains already realized,” PAL said.

Meanwhile, PAL said it henceforth looked forward to a smooth-sailing electioneering process characterized by debates, which must be guided by tolerance, moderateness, and mutual respect amongst political parties and independent candidates.

It said it was looking forward to these rigid deportment requirements because “insults and personal clashes are certainly signs of intellectual inadequacy”.

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