Media
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The Media Foundation for West Africa has said that the freedom of journalists to investigate and report stories on the outbreak of Ebola virus disease is being repressed by governments in worst hit countries in West Africa
| By Maureen Chigbo | Oct. 20, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT |
THE outbreak of Ebola virus disease, EVD, in some West African countries is taking its toll on journalists who are reporting on the issue. Some journalist have been attacked while covering and reporting events related to infectious disease which has killed more than 4000 persons since its outbreak in May. Last month, a mob brutally killed a total of eight people, including three journalists, who were raising awareness about Ebola in Womey, a village in Guinea about 900 km from the capital. This horrific incident reflects the atmosphere of fear and mistrust of health workers; in this instance, the fear was based on the misconception that governments were deliberately spreading the disease through health workers.
Just as the outbreak is worst in Liberia, the media freedom landscape is arguably worst in the country, which is still recovering from years of armed conflict that affected the general infrastructure of the country, including the media sector, according to a special report released on Wednesday by the Media Foundation for West Africa, MFWA. The report which was made available to Realnews said in light of the Ebola outbreak, “journalists have been attacked, harassed, censored and restricted under the state of emergency, which has included curfews and restrictions on general human rights.”
“The government of Liberia has warned journalists against investigating Ebola contaminations, citing fears that journalists themselves may contract and inadvertently spread the disease. Instead, the government told journalists to speak with government officials to obtain information, a situation that would naturally render independent and impartial reporting nearly impossible,” it said.
Lyndon Ponnie, the editor of the Concord Times Newspaper in Liberia, was quoted by the MFWA to have said that: “The Liberian Government has simply not come to grips with the reality that none can stop others from disagreeing in words, unless they have the capacity to stop others from thinking,” he said, adding: “Because the latter is impossible, efforts to prevent people from disagreeing is [sic] but a failed venture that only contributes to the evolution of conflict in our society.”
In a joint statement to the MFWA, D. Kaihenneh Sengbeh, secretary general, and K. Abdullai Kamara, President, Press Union of Liberia, expressed concern about the deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Liberia and commented on the inefficiency and inadequacy of curfews in combating Ebola, the report said.
According to MFWA, efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa have been associated with various forms of press freedom restrictions and attacks on journalists, which continue to hamper the provision of timely and accurate information to the public. The special report which highlighted the impact of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, noted that the Ebola outbreak has had a significant effect on freedom of expression in West Africa, particularly in the worst-affected countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The report highlighted incidents of Ebola-related freedom of expression violations; the challenges with respect to media freedom and professional reportage; and the positive and negative contributions of the media—including social media and bloggers—towards efforts to prevent and contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The report also highlighted the challenges in Guinea, the situation in Sierra Leone, where officials have adopted measures that have the potential of instilling fear in journalists and deterring independent and impartial reporting.
“The limitations on the freedom of expression as it pertains to community sensitisation about health issues constitute violations not only of the right to freedom of expression, but also of the right to health,” said Anjali Manivannan, the MFWA’s programme officer for Free Expression Rights Monitoring and Campaigns. “Unfortunately, many restrictions violate the state obligation to respect these rights,” she added.
The situation is further exacerbated by journalists and individuals who have used traditional and social media irresponsibly, thus increasing the spread of misinformation and even causing bodily harm or death, it said.
“The nature of the disease requires intensive and focused public education to contain it,” said Sulemana Braimah, executive director of the MFWA, adding: “Thus, it is essential to train the media on how to provide timely and accurate information to the public, particularly in the most vulnerable and underserved rural communities in all countries in the region.”
The MFWA has been involved in meetings with the regional inter-governmental body Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, the West African Health Organisation, WAHO, the World Health Organisation, WHO, and the International Federation of the Red Cross to develop media and communication strategies for public education on the disease.
“Currently, the MFWA is rolling out a project to partner with rural and community radio stations across the West Africa region to intensify public education and awareness of the disease,” Braimah said.
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