Monrovia – Veteran Liberian journalist John Kollie has strongly criticized the growing trend of government officials venturing into journalism and operating media platforms, describing it as an infringement on the professional space of trained journalists.
Kollie, who is the Director of the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI), expressed concern over the increasing number of public officials who are not only establishing media institutions but also hosting talk shows; roles traditionally reserved for professional media practitioners.
Speaking Monday on the Truth Breakfast Show, Kollie said such actions undermine the journalism profession and threaten the sustainability of media entities in Liberia.
“Government officials were appointed to perform specific tasks based on their areas of training and expertise,” Kollie stated. “It is unacceptable for them to abandon those duties and take on the work of journalists, which they are neither trained for nor mandated to do.”
He further argued that the proliferation of radio stations and online media platforms owned and operated by government officials is doing more harm than good to the media landscape, making it harder for independent journalists and media houses to survive.
“You are taking our jobs from us. You are taking food from our tables“
According to Kollie, this trend has also contributed to the denial of media contracts to legitimate outlets, as some officials now divert public communication resources to their own media platforms.
“The survival of journalism in Liberia is at stake when government functionaries become media owners and operators,” Kollie warned.
He called on President Joseph Boakai’s administration to ensure that officials focus on the roles for which they were appointed, and to support rather than compete with the independent media.
