Threading Dangerous Path

Threading Dangerous Path

Kenneth Best Tells Liberian Media To Endorse Political Parties Of Their Choice

Remembered as one of the critical Liberian journalist of the 1980’s military junta led by the slain Master/ Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe and 17 other enlisted men of the People’s Redemption Council (PRC) Mr. Kenneth Y. Best has allegedly changed the flow of his pen to a mere praise singer for the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf-led Government since 2006.

Mr. Best Publisher of the Daily Observer, considered the oldest newspaper in post-war Liberia, organized one year after the bloody, April 12, 1980 military coup d’état that ended several decades of a one party state.

Political analysts also believed that the Observer was organized by the elites as propaganda machinery, with the sole purpose to fighting the Samuel K. Doe regime, which brought about the civil war as a lesson to be learned by for the natives.    

This was evidenced over the weekend at the Editors and Owners Forum, held at the Mamba Point Hotel, when the veteran journalist and writer, Mr. Best  spoke about encouraging other publishers as well as journalists not to sit on the fence, but to use their pens in support of any political party of their choice.

The E&OF was organized by Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), Liberia Media Center (LMC), Department for International Development (DFID).

“There are over fifty newspapers in Liberia, including nine dailies. All the newspapers are not as efficient and responsible and correct as you may wish, however you have to give Liberia the credit that journalism is coming out of age. I insist that the media should not sit on the fence. The media everywhere, in the world is an opinion leader, you are opinion leaders,” Mr. Best argued.

From Mr. Best’s assertion that media institutions in Liberia should support any political party of their choice and at same time urging reporters that their writings should change public opinion, observers believed is a complete contradiction on the part of the veteran writer, who has published several books to his credit.

The learned media practitioner, once deported from The Gambia, by L/t. Jaya Jammeh for his alleged meddling into Gambian politics’ presentation was met with stiff resistance from some of the panelists, Peter Quaqua and Cllr. Tiawan S. Gongloe.

Mr. Quaqua, President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), noted that a journalist’s vote should be his/her secret like any other Liberian.

The PUL president differed with Mr. Best’s suggestion for media institutions to come out and start endorsing political parties, but cautioned the media to be independent in the performance of their professional duty as societal watchdogs.

Cllr. Tiawan S. Gongloe, for his part, took serious exception to Mr. Best’s statement of support to any political party, like massive publicity giving to the President in the Daily Observer newspaper.

Cllr. Gongloe, widely known for his rationalism and criticism of both present and past Governments, urged Liberian journalists not to allow themselves to be bought by political institutions for their own political aggrandizement, but to remain as watch dogs of the society.

Journalists attending the conference were also taken aback by the statements made by Mr. Best when he said “You cannot talk everything you know or write everything you know……Certain issues are better left unreported…. This could save you from legal trouble.”

T.C. Boley of the Liberian Women Democracy Radio, LWDR, posed this question to Mr. Best “You said we shouldn’t sit on the fence, should media institutions be telling the public, who to vote for in elections, will this not compromise our principle of fairness and balance? The reporter’s question was met with this response from the veteran journalist: “All around the world…. Perhaps the freest press in the world is in the USA I know that…. There are certain things that they don’t touch.”