On 5th September, 2022, the Investigative Independent newspaper, published a front page lead story, captioned: “As 2023 Elections Fast Approach: Fake News Emerges….Targets Traditional Press”.
In the publication, The Independent highlighted that some individuals, suspected to be unscrupulous politicians and their stooges have begun to design barefaced, shameless and blatant lies to injure the hard-earned credibility, integrity and trust of this newspaper, and perhaps, other traditional media in Liberia.
One may ask, how? A recent case in point is when the concerned criminal-minded individuals deliberately inserted a fake news item into the logo of the paper’s past edition: Vol. No. 62, Monday, May 30, 2022.
The banner headline on The INDEPENDENT Newspaper’s May 30, 2022 edition is totally different from the new headline that the unidentified crooks, charlatans, and fraudsters inserted into the logo of the paper: Captioned: “WE ELIMINATED THE FOUR AUDITORS BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 FUNDING AUDITS,” with the photograph of the now US sanctioned and suspended Minister of State for President Affairs, Nathaniel Falo McGill, placed under the headline.
The Investigative Independent newspaper had never published any news story with such headline in its May 30, 2022 edition.
As if such unethical, inglorious, uncivilized, devilish, and totally irrational behavior against this newspaper was not enough, the fake headline was illegitimately and unlawfully published on multiple social media pages including Facebook, using the same May 30, 2022, as our publication date.
By all accounts, the brazen targeting of The Independent newspaper by the roaming and heartless naysayers, miscreants and scoundrels with ‘fake news,’ is not only wrapped up with ulterior and underhanded political and felonious motives, but to also asphyxiate the free and unfettered press as well as free speech in Liberia.
This is why, the Management and Editorial Staff of The ‘Investigative’ INDEPENDENT Newspaper, strongly support, the vehement condemnation and the latest call of the paper’s publisher, Mr. Sam O. Dean, for a thorough and holistic investigation of this despicable incident, which he characterized as “cowardly, irresponsible, and counterproductive to free press and freedom of expression” in Liberia.
Just as Publisher Dean, we, too, are of the candid view that the concocted efforts to unduly muddy the hard-earned virtuous reputation, integrity and credibility of the independent media outlets in Liberia by the visibly anti-free press apologists, stooges, and lackeys has been exposed and that such dastardly act will never be allowed to germinate on the Liberian media landscape.
Indeed, it remains an open secret that, rain or shine, the independent media have stood the test of time from Liberia’s dark days when succeeding dictators and tyrants over the years waged not only biting economic war against it, which was reinforced by acts of banditry and lawlessness including macabre brutalization, killing, harassment and intimidation of journalists and other media workers.
With sweat, blood and tears, Liberian media had, for decades, paid, and continue to pay high price for the freedom it now enjoys, and as such, we cannot, and will never ever, be cowed into submission to the wings and caprices of any power-greedy and power thirsty politicians, backed by other white-collar criminals for their personal aggrandizements.
Let it also be made transparently clear that The INDEPENDENT newspaper, Liberia’s 7th oldest media outlet, has no friend or foe as the paper, since its birth on the Liberian media landscape in 2001, avails its platform to all and sundry by giving equal access to all politicians, political parties, civil society and pro-democracy, women and youth groups among others.
This is also why the Management and Staff of the Independent join the paper’s Publisher, Sam O. Dean, who vehemently decried the latest attack against the integrity of the paper as “dirty politics which is fast creeping into Liberia’s infant democracy, with the potential to undermine and undercut the nation’s fledgling democracy and the strengthening and consolidation of its peace and serenity.”
Just as Publisher Dean, we strongly believe that any draconian tactics designed to weaken the already economically susceptible local media in Liberia is intended to steer unwarranted conflicts aimed at grossly undermining Liberia’s hard-won peace and democracy and the transition of our post-war nation towards a positive development trajectory.
This should never be allowed to germinate on any inch of Liberia’s territory by the vast majority of Liberia’s patriotic citizens whether, rain or shine.
