Volume 3 Appendices VI: Media and Outreach in the TRC Process

171 Pages·2009·1.6 MB·English

TRUTHANDRECONCILIATIONCOMMISSION MediaandOutreachintheTRCProcess
REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
Volume Three:
APPENDICES
Title VI:
Media and Outreach in the TRC Process
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Final Statement from the Commission
Nearlythreeandhalfyearsago,weembarkeduponajourneyonbehalfof
thepeopleofLiberiawithasimplemissiontoexplainhowLiberiabecame
what it is today and to advance recommendations to avert a repetition of
the past and lay the foundation for sustainable national peace, unity,
security and reconciliation. Considering the complexity of the Liberian
conflict, the intractable nature of our socio-cultural interactions, the fluid
political and fragile security environment, we had no illusion of the task
at hand and, embraced the challenge as a national call to duty; a duty we
commi<ed ourselves to accomplishing without fear or favor.
Today, we have done just that! With gratitude to the Almighty God, the
Merciful Allah and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are both proud
and honored to present our report to the people of Liberia, the
Government of Liberia, the President of Liberia and the International
Community who are “moral guarantors” of the Liberian peace process.
This report is made against the background of rising expectations, fears
and anxiety. The vast majority of us who are victims or survivors of the
massive wave of atrocities induced by the conflict, expect that all the
recommendations contained in this report will be implemented and
reparationsintheformsofcompensation,policyandinstitutionalreforms,
specialized services, restitution or financial relief, will address all our
social, economic, cultural, civic and political rights issues, ensure
accountability, undermine impunity and foster national healing and
reconciliation.
Thefewofuswhocommandedtheforceofarms,financed,resourcedand
provided political and ideological guidance to several warring factions,
wefearalienation,prosecutionsandotherformsofpublicsanctionswhich
mayundermineourcurrentsocio-economicandpoliticalstatureacquired
during the conflict period.
Though this la<er group of us equally desire national healing and
reconciliation, it should be accomplished without any cost to our current
standing and prestige. Bygones must be bygones. Having no regard for
the rule of law, we ignored the TRC Process and when we opted to
cooperate and appear before the Commission, we deliberately lied and
failed to speak truthfully about the scale of our participation and deeds as
a show of remorse and contrition which acknowledges the pains and
sufferings of victims and triggers the national healing and reconciliation
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we profess to desire.
A true transitional justice process, as the TRC of Liberia, is never a perfect
human endeavor; and will not satisfy all segments of our society. It is
equally true that the TRC may never meet all the expectations or allay all
the fears of contending interests it naturally arouses. Expectations, fears
and anxieties, justifiably so, are products of the TRC process and not its
outcome. The process is what justifies or legitimizes the product or the
outcomes.
The outcome in this report is the product of deliberate planning and
engagement with all segments of our society centering on all 15 counties
of Liberia and the Diaspora. Capturing over 22,000 wri<en statements,
several dozens of personal interviews and over 500 hundred live public
testimoniesofwitnessesincludingactors,perpetrators,anddirectvictims;
a national regional consultation with county stakeholders and a national
conference on reconciliation and the way forward provided the
Commission a national perspective of the conflict, its causes, trends,
impacts and the vision and aspirations of the people of Liberia for a be<er
future. The Commission incorporated desk research, media publications
and human rights reports of very prominent international and local
human rights institutions into its work. So guided and informed, the
Commission is well poised to make this report and draw the conclusions
and make the recommendations contained in this report which in four
volumes documents the comprehensive work of the Commission.
We extend appreciation to all, locally and internationally, who supported
and worked with the Commission to ensure it succeeded at its mandate.
We mention the Government of Her Excellency, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the
National Legislature including the House Standing commi<ee on Peace
and Reconciliation, The International Contact Group on Liberia (ICGL),
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights and the hundreds of volunteers
across the USA, the media and dozens of civil society institutions, who
were very interested and supportive of the process and lastly but not the
least,thepeopleofLiberiaeverywhere,notonlyfortheirsupportbutmost
importantly for their abiding faith and confidence in the process and our
ability to successfully navigate and pilot suavely through the many
turbulences we encountered along the way.
We call on all to view this report and use it as a tool, blueprint and
foundation for carving a be<er, brighter and more secured future for
posterity. The purpose of our work was not necessarily to please anyone
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but to objectively and independently execute the mandates of the TRC
realistically and objectively in patriotic service to the nation in unraveling
the truth of our national nightmare. This report is our roadmap to
liberation and lasting peace which means that reconciliation in Liberia is
never again an elusive goal. It is both a possibility and a reality we must
achieve by opening our hearts and accepting the realities and
consequences of our national existence and move forward. This report is
acontributiontothatprocessanditisourprayersthatallLiberianswillsee
it that way and work for the full implementation of the recommendations
without fear or favor or respect for any man. When we do this, the love of
liberty “which brought us here” will “bring us together” under God’s
Command so that this sweet and glorious land of liberty will forever be
ours.
Jerome J Verdier, Sr.
Counselor-at-Law
Chairman
Dated in Monrovia this 30th day of JuneA.D. 2009
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The TRC is most grateful to the Liberian media at home and in the Diaspora for the
partnershipwiththeTRCintheimplementationoftheCommission’smandateandin
particular to the recent past and current administration of the Press Union of Liberia
(PUL) for the level of cooperation with the TRC and cordial working relationship
between the both institutions.
Special appreciation goes to the Atlanta Friends of the Liberian TRC especially the
Carter Center for organizing and hosting forums and workshops with the Liberian
Community in Georgia on the TRC process and initializing the forum on the media
and the conflict from which activities the idea for a media hearing of the TRC on the
roleofthe mediain the conflictwasborn.
We extend deep appreciation to UNESCO for funding assistance to the TRC for the
holding of the special thematic hearing on the media and training workshop for
Liberian journalistswith thePUL.
We are deeply grateful to the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) for
training of journalists on transitional justice mechanisms and the TRC’s mandate and
assistance with facilitating the media’s role in developing the Journalists Code of
ConductforcoveringtheTRCprocessandassistancewithtrainingofstatementtakers
onBudumburamrefugee campin Ghana.
WeareespeciallydeeplygratefultotheAdvocatesforHumanRightsandmanagement
partner Sutherland Asbill and Brennan LLP, Kara Apland and Ben Guthrie for
extensive research conducted on the Liberian media and producing a comprehensive
draftofthemediareport. JoshCurryofSutherlandAsbillandBrennaLLPefficiently
and tirelessly worked with the TRC ensuring timely coordination of information for
this report.
Thanks also go out to all local, international journalists and media practitioners who
participatedinthe mediahearingsandthePULworkshopandabig thank youtothe
Liberiamediaforsupport oftheTRCprocess.
WeremainindebtedtotheGeorgiaTechUniversityofAtlanta,Georgia,especiallyDr.
Michael Best who led the effort and his entire team including John Etherton of the
Liberian project for adding value to the TRC process through support of the IT
department, media and outreach efforts of the Commission and their availability to
assisttheTRCwhenevercalledupon.WeappreciateJohnEthertonforgoingtheextra
mileto help.
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Finally but importantly, we want to acknowledge and also appreciate the hard work
of the TRC Diaspora Media Committee particularly the point person Mr. Sam Togba
SlewionoftheLiberianCommunityinPhiladelphiafortheeffectivemannerinwhich
information about the process was disseminated amongst Liberians in the USA and
the commitment in ensuring that the TRC’s work was known to members of that
Community and beyond and for assisting with coordinating, organizing and
facilitating the variousDiaspora,USAengagements.Thank you.
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Table of Contents
Section1:Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1
Section2:HistoryoftheLiberianMedia.......................................................................................... 3
Section3:TheMediainLiberiaundertheDoeGovernment........................................................ 12
3a.TheEarlyYearsunderDoe............................................................................ 12
3b.Outlets,Capacity,andAudience.................................................................. 13
3c.RepressionoftheMediabytheDoeAdministration................................ 14
3d.JournalisticStandards.................................................................................... 17
Section4:TheLiberianMediaduringtheFirstRoundoftheCivilWar:1989-1997................... 18
4a.Outlets,Capacity,andAudience.................................................................. 18
4b.Gbargna/MonroviaPressandComplicityinConflict............................... 19
4c.Repression........................................................................................................ 24
Section5:TheLiberianPressundertheTaylorAdministration:1997-2003................................ 25
5a.Outlets,Capacity,andAudience.................................................................. 25
5b.Repression....................................................................................................... 25
5c.JournalisticStandards.................................................................................... 28
Section6:TheInternationalMediainLiberia................................................................................... 30
6a.RelationshipwiththeLocalMedia.............................................................. 30
6b.RoleinConflictReporting............................................................................. 31
6c.CriticismoftheInternationalMedia............................................................ 39
6d.RoleoftheDiasporaPopulationandMediaDuringtheConflict........... 42
6e.Conclusions..................................................................................................... 44
Section7:LegalandProfessionalStandards.................................................................................... 45
7a.LiberianLaw.................................................................................................... 45
7b.InternationalandRegionalLegalStandards.............................................. 48
7c.ProfessionalStandards................................................................................... 59
7d.LiberianStandards......................................................................................... 66
7e.OpportunitiesforLegal/PolicyReform....................................................... 66
Section8:MediaCoverageofAccompanyingFactorsandConsequencesofConflict.............. 69
8a.NaturalResourceExploitation..................................................................... 69
8b.IllegalArmsTrade/TerrorismLinks.......................................................... 72
8c.RefugeeandInternallyDisplacedPersons’Movements........................... 73
8d.JournalistsandMediaPersonnelasWitnessSurvivorstoHumanAtrocities 75
Section9:TheMediainLiberiaToday.............................................................................................. 77
9a. Actors.............................................................................................................. 77
9b.AssaultsandCorruption............................................................................... 78
9c.Capacity–TechnologyandInfrastructure.................................................. 80
9d.Capacity–HumanCapital............................................................................ 81
9e.Accessibility..................................................................................................... 82
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Section10:Recommendations............................................................................................................ 83
10a.LegalReform................................................................................................. 83
10b.LessonsfromotherTRCs............................................................................ 84
10c.CapacityBuilding–ResourcesandTechnology...................................... 87
10d.CapacityBuilding–TrainingandEducation........................................... 88
10e.PrivatizationandSustainability................................................................. 89
10f.Expansion....................................................................................................... 90
Table ofAppendices
Appendix1:MediaRightsViolations:1980-2003............................................................................. 114
Appendix2:ECOMOGPressPolicyStatement................................................................................ 121
Appendix3:Article15ofthe1984LiberianConstitution............................................................... 122
Appendix4:AnActConstitutingaNationalCommunicationsPolicyCommission................. 123
Appendix5:DeclarationofWindhoek,May3,1991....................................................................... 125
Appendix6:DeclarationofPrinciplesonFreedomofExpressioninAfrica................................ 130
Appendix7:TheJohannesburgPrinciplesonNationalSecurity,
FreedomofExpression andAccesstoInformation......................................................................... 137
Appendix8:AfricanCharteronBroadcasting2001......................................................................... 144
Appendix9:OpenLetterfromMediaOrganizations,Recommendationsofthe
ForumonFreedomofExpressioninAfrica....................................................................................... 148
Appendix10:PressUnionofLiberiaCodeofEthicsandConduct............................................... 153
Appendix11:TRC/PULCodeofConductforJournalistsCoveringtheTRC.............................. 157
Appendix12:TRCPublicRequestforInformation.......................................................................... 160
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