In order to professionally avoid the continuous violation of people’s personal privacy by journalists in Liberia, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) in collaboration with the Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL) with support from the Liberia Media Initiative (LMA), Co-Financed by the European Union (EU) on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 held a daylong self-regulatory working session with scores of journalists in Sanniquille, Nimba County.
The objective of the daylong session which brought together journalists from around the country focused on the importance of personal data privacy highlighted self-regulatory working manual gearing towards guiding them on the usage of personal data and protection while carrying out their journalistic duties.
In his opening statement, the President of PAL, Othello Garblah, said the gathering was in continuation of the June and July 2021 engagement which brought together journalists from Nimba, Bong, Margibi and Lofa Counties to discuss on how to report as well as handle personal data related issues while carrying out their reportorial duties.
Speaking at the opening of the session, the Senior Program Officer of the Internews Europe, Thibault Chapoy, stressed the importance of such regulation for the benefit of the sector and the Country at large.
He said even though, it is a technical and complex issue but encourage journalists to be a champion of such key milestone, and further pointed out that such activities by both the PUL and PAL was very timely especially at a time Liberia joined other Countries across the world in observance of International Right To Know Day.
Also speaking at the program was the Project Director of the Liberia Media Initiative (LMI) Samuka Konneh who stated that the vulnerability of personal data is alarming and needs to be looked at carefully.
Liberia he said does not have a specific law on the protection of ones personal data while at the same time, the media also do not have a set guidelines on how to report and protect an individual personal data as such, the gathering was very significant.
As for the Press Union of Liberia, the Vice President, Daniel Nyakonah urged his members to remain professional in the discharge of their duties.
According to him, the working manual will form a part of the Press Union code of ethics as such , call on all members to do the needful.
“There are scattered laws and there is no synchronization on personal data as several institutions in Liberia to include: the National Identification Registry, the Bureau of Vital and Health Statistics , the Passport Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The National Security Agency, GSM providers as well as Schools and Clinics are requesting for such, and it is an issue of national concern”, Musa Kenneth , Secretary General of the Press Union of Liberia buttressed his boss, VP Nyakonah.
Providing some insights about the document, Cllr. Dickson said the standalone legislation is among other things looking at the management, safety and security concern of people’s personal data including its protection.
He informs the body that the document which is still in its formative stage but when subsequently passed into law will provide protection against bridges, consent of an individual before publication of personal data, the guarantee rights of data owners and data collection in sharing rights , just to name a few.
Giving the vote of thanks, the Vice President of the Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL) Sam O. Dean told participants that objective of the exercise is o help in improving the reportorial duties of journalist and is not meant to arm twist journalists but to ensure that they are more professional in doing their work.
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