The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) is cautioning the media and journalism community of Liberia against deliberately publishing information amounting to fake news.
The caution is particularly against the backdrop of three publications that appeared separately in the print editions of the Heritage and Hot Pepper Newspapers and the broadcast news program of Truth FM.
The Union strongly disagrees over the 31 March social media post and 1 April print publication by the Heritage Newspaper in which it was claimed that President George Weah had dismissed two of his Ministers for administrative reasons.
The heritage newspaper, a comparatively important publication, had falsely published the self-manufactured information in the name of “April fool.”Similar “April fool” was done on the early morning newscast of Truth FM.
The private broadcaster informed its audience that the Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander B. Cummings, had joined the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
The PUL believes that in the current era of increased misinformation and disinformation, it is not only insensitive but irresponsible for any serious-minded media entity to engage in disseminating information to “fool” its audience as if journalism is a “fool’s” profession or a profession of “fools.” Media audiences are neither “fools” and must not be “fooled” for the sake of “April fool,” the Union insists.
Meanwhile, the PUL says it is disappointed in the 1 April publication of the Hot Pepper Newspaper, which claimed that “human parts” were on sale in Yekepa, Nimba County.
The Union is saddened that the Hot Pepper Newspaper chose to publish an unverified photo which has origin from Nigeria but was attributed to a situation that never happened in Yekepa, Nimba County.
ThePUL calls on members of the media and journalism community to disengage from intentionally disregarding journalistic ethical standards grounded in truth-telling after interviews and fact-checking with multiple and credible sources to enrich the quality of news contents.
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