Media Advocacy Group to Defend FORUM
By: Lewis Glay
Forum
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
The international media defense team based in Accra, Ghana, focuses activities on monitoring attacks on the media in West Africa especially when they are being dragged either physically or legally to court for attacking news maker for misdeeds in society.
According to the foundation’s Coordinator for Liberia Mr. Wellington Geevon-Smith, the advocacy group was establishing a branch in the country in order to reinforce the monitoring of attacks on the Liberian media by institutions or individuals who would tend to intimidate journalists for reporting the truths.
Mr. Geevon-Smith made these statements over the weekend when he paid a
visit to the offices of The FORUM to ascertain the first-hand account on
the so-called lawsuit between the institution and the Hope International
president over his alleged involvement in drug trafficking in the United
States of America for which he is reportedly wanted for prosecution.
He said the unfolding development was not surprising because when national
elections are approaching people who undergo media attacks normally do something
to save face.
The Foundation’s coordinator however said, their advocacy is not in any way intended to encourage the media to engage into unethical reportage because the media defense team has interest in media productivity for the decency of society.
The lawsuit against The FORUM newspaper, he said, has already reached the foundation’s desk in Accra, Ghana, and the detail for getting involved in legally assisting the process is most likely expected to be worked out cautiously.
He then urged the Liberian media to remain resolute in using truth as their guiding principle to expose the ills in society. He warned that beating the propaganda drum for people who believe that public funds belong to them will only suffer the rest of society, adding, “be vigilant during this election period.”
