As members of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) join their global colleagues in the observing of this year’s World Press Freedom Day held in southeastern Liberia, Grand Kru County to be specific in Barclayville City, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative HonCllr. Jonathan Fonita Koffa has called on Liberian journalists to be more professional in the discharge of their respective journalistic duties, making reference of their journalist creed.
Addressing hundreds of Liberian journalists in the beautiful layout city of Barclayville, shrewd lawmaker who is also representing the people of District # two Grand Kru County, admonished journalists to desist from using what they called sources to camouflage their professional ethnic by not considering what the Journalist’s Creed which spelled out by saying, “That no one should write as a journalist what he would not say as a gentlemen; that bribery by one’s own pocket-book is as such is as much to be avoided as bribery by the pocket-book of another, that individual responsibility may not be pleading another’s dividends,” the House Deputy Speaker in his statement noted.
Deputy Speaker who spoke to journalists at the program cautioned them not to compromise their professional duties for anything as their Journalist’s Creed warned, indicating that, “That that clear thinking and clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism,” the well-known legal expert in a well attendance gathering of journalists added.
The Grand Kru County than used the occasion to call on the Liberian government in settling media debts in order for those media owners to empower their respective institutions in the respective growth of their institutions and also empower their employees with the necessary improvement at their various media outlets, this will make them to avoid what the journalist creed talked about, “That the suppression of news, for any consideration other than the welfare of the society, is indefensible.”
For his part, the President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), Charles B. Coffey, Jr. reechoed the statement of the Deputy Speaker, calling on Liberian journalists to be more professional in the discharge of their journalistic duties, noting that those who will be caught will be named and shamed, expressed thanks and appreciation to authority of the county for their support towards the success of the day.
Several other officials including Presidential Press Secretary Isaac Solo Keigbeh who spoke on behalf the Liberian leader, President George Manneh Weah applauded the Liberian media for joining the rest of their colleagues around the world in the celebrating the World Press Freedom Day in Liberia.
The Superintendent of the county, Madam Doris Ylatun poured praise on the leadership of the PUL for decentralizing its activities across the county, and further called for another occasion of such to be held in her county, noting that this will tremendously help to mood the minds of local journalists to perform their duties professionally.
Earlier, the City Mayor of Barclayville, Madam Benetor Blamo welcomed journalists under the banner of the Press Union of Liberia to her city which she described as the most beautiful city in the country, and further urged them to enjoy every social aspect while in Barclayvill City.
Joel Cholo Brooks writes
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