Speaking at the Press Union Headquarters in Monrovia on Monday, September 29, the Special Committee briefed the public on the investigation into the alleged assault and misconduct by the Minister of Information against Nimba County journalist Franklin Doloquee during the government town hall. The OKFM and FrontPage Africa’s reporter had alleged being assaulted by the minister.
The Special Committee report states that both the minister and the journalist were involved in the misuse of power and ethical breaches. The journalist acted unethically by video recording the Minister after previously agreeing to an audio recording instead. Proceeding to video record the minister without his consent is a breach of professionalism and journalistic conduct, violating the code of ethics of the Press Union of Liberia.
The Special Committee also highlighted that the Minister of Information misused his authority by requesting the journalist’s phone and deleting the videos without a formal complaint to the Press Union of Liberia.
The report also states that FrontPage Africa and OK FM were unfair to the Minister by not affording him due process, but went ahead to issue statements condemning the Minister of Information. Other media outlets also reported attacks on journalists, which is considered bad journalistic conduct, as it disregards the right to due process.
The committee went on to recommend to the Press Union of Liberia leadership to create a space where journalists can adhere to the practices of good journalism, and the government of Liberia must create a space for journalists and government officials to work together in advancing the country.
By Joseph Sirleaf, Contributing Writer
