No Press Freedom Yet – Claims CMC

4 May 2011

The faith based Media Group the Christian Media Center (CMC) says despite gains made in establishing the freedom of information law Liberia is still far from achieving press freedom, said a CMC press release signed by Executive Director Nah Davies.

The release, which was issued on the eve of World Press freedom Day CMC said the current administration is tolerating some level of free speech and freedom of the press because the current societal frame work that has the international community as its biggest player unequivocally calls for it.

The Center credited the attainment of the freedom of information law to the persistency of the Liberian media and the larger civil society with enormous moral, technical, and financial support from Liberia’s international partners.

Christian Media Center noted that the presences of the international community have provided the democratic space for free speech to flourish in the country.

The faith-based media group however expressed fears that the gains made may disappear with the departure of the international community if nothing was done to make them irreversible.

It said it does not trust the Sirleaf administration on issues of free speech and press freedom in that there were still anti-free speech laws on the books that the government was not keen on repelling.

Christian Media Center also pointed to government institutions’ refusal to settle their arrears with media entities as a calculated move to impoverish the local media and stifle press freedom, adding that an impoverished media was opened to control by power financial operatives in society, including the government.

The media group said the government was also encouraging partisan or regime journalism by been selective in giving out ads to media entities that are more government-friendly in their reportage on national issues.

Christian Media Center admonished journalists in such alliances with the government and or opposition political parties to stop, as doing so was counterproductive and a complete betrayal of public trust.

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