PUL Wants Action against media houses

The Press Union of Liberia has called on the Ministry of information and the Liberia Telecommunication to effect immediate action against two radio stations whose journalists are engage unethical work.

A release from the PUL over the weekend said. “The Press Union of Liberia says it is appalled by the gross disregard for professional standards of journalism and Liberian traditional societal norms being exhibited by some broadcasters in the country,” it said.

“The PUL specifically, frowns at the Friday September 20, 2019 broadcast edition of the Freedom Morning Rise, a popular radio program aired on Freedom 87.9 FM. Freedom FM is owned and operated by Deputy National Security Agency (NSA) Director Sam T. Sayon. Presenters Sekou Sheriff and Austin Kawah, violated the professional standards and guidelines for journalists, by using invectives, during their usual rants on radio in a copycat disposition of the Roots FM’s flagship talk show the Costa Show,”

It added that it sees the recent wave of rival insults coated broadcast on the airwaves as a direct product of hate style politics being practiced in the country.

To spree out unruly comments to a listenership so indeed of detailed information on specific governance sector tie to their livelihood is very contemptible and dangerous for societal cohesion, the release said.

To this end, “the PUL has without stupor declared Freedom FM and Roots FM, the forerunner of abusive broadcast, destructive tools against the security of the state. Broadcast content produced by these radio stations are teaching younger generation of Liberians to be untamed.”

The radios are often used to insult, and spread propaganda about rivals through talk shows which provides careless commentaries backed by rented serial or regular callers at the disadvantage of the public right to know and as well good.

According to article 15 of the 1986 Constitution, it  provides every Liberian the right to freedom of expression but alerting of full responsibility when abused.

The Press Union of Liberia is now inviting immediate action against these broadcasters mainly owned by Liberian political leaders and influencers from the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism (MICAT) and the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) within the scope of the organic Law, it said.

The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) is therefore calling on the Government of Liberia (GOL) as the regulatory body to take actions in keeping with the standards and procedures provided for by the laws of the Republic of Liberia.  This, the Union believes, will serve as a deterrent and will safeguard the future of the Liberian media- and protect the generations unborn.

The PUL statement concludes that “going forward, the PUL says it will not be seeing advocating for the protection of the two reckless broadcaster whose conduct are against every principle of good journalism.” TNR

the release said.