IPNEWS: Also speaking at the IPNEWS Launch and 3rd Anniversary program, the former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Nathaniel Blama, who is also Executive of HPX Liberia said the media is always a reflection of society and if the society needs to get better it is the media that needs to help in that direction.
Blama cautioned the Liberian media to thoroughly investigate issues before publishing, indicating though every media institution may want to be the first in breaking the news, factual information is cardinal as far as the ethics of journalism is concerned.
“No factual information and it is reflected in the media, some of the things we write do reflect on us as a nation and a people.”
The former EPA Executive Director noted that in Liberia lower things take the higher platform and high things take the lower platform in the media, a situation he cautioned the media to look into and direct a new course where to always fact check which is cardinal to good journalism.
“The media have a very long role to play, and we need to know that we have a responsibility to society. What if the media to report on our disadvantaged brothers and sisters who are there on the street? If we don’t clean the society that we are living in it is going to hurt us as a people and Nation. The role of the media is to report on issues that happen to the society and its people,” Mr. Blama cautioned.
Meanwhile, as far as the IPNEWS Rally was concerned for the purchase of printing machines for its ‘Print House’, the former EPA Executive Director pledged L$30,000 as his initial contribution, and then called on other philanthropists and business houses, and executives to support the newspaper’s rally.
There were other personalities who pledged support to the IPNEWS Rally, including former Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Findley, Deputy House Speaker Cllr. J Fonati Koffa, PUL vice presidential candidate, Beatrice Sieh, PUL President Charles Coffey, the Chairman of the Rocky Hill Community, Mr. Andrew Ngolloe on behalf of his people; Mr. Cholo Brooks- Secretary General of The Publishers Association of Liberia (RAL) committed his association to a pledge, among others.
The personalities lauded the IPNEWS family for their 3rd anniversary and challenged them to continue to do more in its endeavors for higher heights in the media landscape in Liberia. As for PUL presidential candidate, Julius Kullie Kanubah, he said the dream of the IPNEWS to empower itself economically with the planned establishment of a Print House, is in line with plans of his team if elected to the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia.
Mr. Kanubah said now is the time to create the conditions and space for media houses to be empowered economically through direct investment in other ventures as well as seeking support through international media projects that focus on specific subject matters.
Earlier, giving an overview of the IPNEWS Rally intended to purchase printing machines for the establishment of its ‘Print House’, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Molixium Ventures, Inc. publishers of the Independent Probe Newspaper, said the vision to set up a printing house has been a long been a dream as printing cost has always been a burden for most Liberian newspaper’s publishers.
Mr. Chester Smith said the establishment of a Print House for the IPNEWS will take the paper to another level as the exorbitant fees to print houses owned by foreign nationals can be diverted to some other activity within the IPNEWS setup that will benefit the staff and management.
He said for the past months, IPNEWS management has spent a little over US$18,000 for printing cost alone to keep the paper afloat and on the newsstand. “The only way we can reduce such exorbitant spending is to acquire our own machines and establish our Print House, so that money spent on printing can go towards other things at IPNEWS for the betterment of the staff and the management,” Mr. stated.
He lauded the guests, the media community, clients, consumers and the Rocky Hill Community for their support as The Independent Probe newspaper celebrated its 3rd Anniversary on November 5, 2022.
Meanwhile, several Liberians journalists and the general public graced the IPNEWS 3rd Anniversary program and Rally. By Taisiah K. Merfee, with additional reporting by The EDITOR-in-Chief
