Minutes after penning his signature to the book of condolence of falling veteran Journalist Philip N. Wesseh at the headquarters of the Press Union of Liberia on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, former Vice President Joseph Boakai, made a clarion call to emerging Liberian journalists, asking them to emulate the good examples of the late Wesseh. The former Vice President said the deceased said he upheld the ethics of the noble Profession in spite of the harsh economic challenges the Liberian media faces.
Not only Ambassador Boakai has made this call, many other prominent Liberians, including even the late veteran journalist Wesseh himself, had over the years, made similar passionate plea, asking journalists to maintain the nobility of the profession and not make it to appear like a den of extortionists, blackmailers and liars or a group of individuals that are easily compromised for little or nothing.
Over the years, we have heard of many disturbing news or reports of journalists’ hands caught in the cookies jar as they attempted to extort money from or blackmail potential newsmakers, business people and others under the pretext of seeking information.
Even some media owners are found in the category of this kind of journalism in Liberia. In some other instances, people categorize journalists as a group of indigents and beggars.
Worst of it all, the profession has turned a floodgate of hustlers and ill-prepared individuals, who are on the rampage impersonating as journalists with the aim to prey on well-meaning people in the society just to make a living.
Just a fortnight ago, police arrested two fake journalists in Monrovia while they were on a spree to blackmail and extort money from prominent citizens.
While we agree that bad apples are in every profession, including for example, the legal profession, it is incumbent upon us as journalists to jealously protect our noble profession no matter what the circumstances are.
This is why former Vice President Boakai’s call, mainly to young or emerging journalists, wouldn’t have come at any other better time, than now, especially as our country braces itself for the next Presidential and Legislative Elections in 2023. Don’t forget, it is during this crucial period that politicians entice citizens with monies and seek compromises with journalists in honest or selfish pursuit of their respective political agendas.
Mind you, it is some of these politicians, who at the end of the day, ascribe to us journalists, all sorts of names, including blackmailers, liars, and extortionists.
Unless we uphold the nobility and ethics of our profession as former Vice President Boakai has advised, no one will.
