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Journalism,
friendship blurred...The Perspective and an American
paratrooper - Part I
Monday,
December 08, 2007
By Masu Fahnbulleh
From
newspapers, television, radio and the Internet,
journalism has come to be redefined in contrast to its
early inception. One cannot stay with a particular
story for a long time, all day perhaps, not
considering when you have to rush to watch Headline
News, “Breaking News from CNN,” Fox News, ABC News
or perhaps NBC's Meet The Press, since the world is
now in a pitch fever for the next presidential
election especially when a candidate of African
decent, Illinois Senator, Barrack Obama, a son of a
Kenyan professor, stands to actually define ‘Race
Relations’ in America.
The
word ‘journalism’ has come to be defined as the
editing and accounting of events and news for
presentation through various forms of media. Today’s
print media, electronic and television with its lenses
in our lives, and in particular, some Liberian Online
Media in the 21st Century that provides
daily and weekly news events for Liberians in the
Diaspora are having difficulties in trying to
distinguish ‘The Fifth Estate’ from its root.
Additionally, the instantaneous transmission
and updates through sophisticated electronic media
channels further amplifies this divergence - a
significant departure.
When
newspaper was the only medium available to
journalists, enough time was appropriated for
conducting research on issues, editing and
publication. But as mass media progressed and new
mediums of prints and broadcasting emerged, the time
allocated for journalistic reflection reduce
significantly. The Internet has enable news and
information to move at lighting speed, restricted
perhaps by the equipment in ones possession or an
individual’s service provider. The urgency brought
by the worldwide web, an environment where everyone is
a potential publisher, allows for even less
deliberation by the journalist and editor. The speed
and anonymity provided by the web can play fast and
loose with journalistic ethics.
Many
at times our loyalty to friends, advocacy for a cause
and our belief in institutions comes at a price…in
some instances a very costly premium for our
unwavering support and commitment causes us to
remained engaged, or disassociate ourselves with a
cause that is greater than our imaginations, yet
holding true to our internal convictions. Our
convictions clearly defines our passion and commitment
to a purpose; and when it is compromised, especially
when it is tied to a trusted friend, not institution,
we come away been highly disappointed for the most
part. This is especially true and particularly
unconscionable when our belief system and values are
anchored in personality. If we become susceptible to
the inappropriate conduct of our protégé, their
inexcusable behaviors, whether serving in government,
Liberian Community Associations and or other
organizations, becomes very much inconveniencing.
A
LOOK AT THE CONTROVERSY
A
‘Rejoinder’ is not necessary to the discussion at
hand, with respect to US AFRICOM (a major US Military
Command, earmarked for Africa) designated to oversee
America-Africa strategic relations in areas such as
humanitarian, enhancement of security and the
strengthening of African Union Forces capabilities.
I
have published two articles outlining my support for
this endeavor: US Military Command (Africom):
Liberia’s Strategic Balance.
The Perspective. Atlanta, Georgia. 20, September 2007. ; and President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Advocacy for (AFRICOM) in
Liberia and the Progressives Propaganda.
TheLiberian Forum. 1, November 2007. These two articles have some similarities in terms of the
role of The Progressives in Liberia.
Of particular interest, is the word
‘remnants’ and my rendezvous with a progressive
adherent, Dr. Amos Sawyer, who once headed the Interim
Government of National Unity (IGNU)?’
Certainly,
the application of ‘remnants’, my closed encounter
with IGNU Chairman and my description of the
Progressives in Liberia, stirred a storm of
controversy with some members of the Editorial Staff
of Atlanta-based Internet Liberian media, “THE
PERSPECTIVE.”
As always, I forward my articles to many of the
Liberian Internet media outlets for publication. But
this time around, the latter of the articles, did not
receive the normal posting associated with subsequent
writings by some of Liberia’s Internet media in the
Diaspora. TLC Africa, The Liberian Times and The
Liberian Forum carried the entire article, but with
one difference-The Liberian Forum in its ‘Comments
Section’, some unnamed individual-used only initials
(KMS) referred to me “as an agent of the US
government,” while FrontPageAfrica had it as a
Commentary; and The Liberian Dialogue, decided to have
a substantial portion of the article taken out, I
guess this must be ‘Editing’…laugh!
Unlike
the other Liberian Internet media outlet, Atlanta
based, “The Perspective”, Associate Editor, Dr.
Abdoulaye Dukule, was emailed the article for
publication. Herein is one of three exchanges between
Dr. Dukule and me over the subsequent posting of my
article:
Re:
ARTICLE FOR PUBLICATION
From:
adukule@aol.com
Sent:
Fri
11/02/07 8:59 AM
To:
fahnbullehm@hotmail.com
Masu:
i
read your second article and I must tell you that you
seem to stray from the stated objective of your title.
Much of the article seems to be an attack on what you
call the "progressists"
and the "failures of Chairman Sawyer."
Can you look at the article again and make a case for AFRICOM
that you seem to advocate and also gives references to
your claims about the campaign by progressists
opposing AFRICOM?
Who are they and what did they say exactly and when
did they say it? I am not sure failures of IGNU
in 1990s
nor US policies in Somalia have much to do with AFRICOM
and Liberia. One must be careful in writing political
stuff not to be so personal. I am sure you can find
enough solid arguments to support your views without
going that personal. After all, you don't give any
instances where sawyer or any progressist
has written or said anything negative about AFRICOM...
I am currently in Monrovia.
have a great day.
Duke
Then came an article “AFRICOM: A Model for
‘Capacity’ Building and Development or Not?
The Perspective. J. Kpanneh Doe et Siahyonkron Nyanseor, 24 November 2007. Doe
and Nyanseor argued that my rise to fame is attributed
to being a Paratrooper in the US Military. I am
extremely proud of my service to this great nation
were my talents, were gainfully employed to confront
tyrants and corrupt leaders around the world, bring
freedom to the oppressed, and above all humanity. As
in the words of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in
describing the urgent call for liberation in Europe,
“History does not long entrust the care of freedom
to the weak or the timid.” So for me, the intense
training of becoming a paratrooper, knowing that for
freedom’s cause, I was willing to sacrifice it all.
Apparently,
J. Kpanneh Doe and Siahyonkron Nyanseor did not
understand nor will they ever have a full appreciation
of this level of commitment, and what it is to put
everything on ‘the line’ in the pursuit of
freedom. These two protégés of Dr. Dukule missed the
mark and launched a toothless attack in an effort to
save ‘remnants of the progressives,’ who at the
hearing of AFRICOM are beginning to ‘HIGH TAIL.’ Whether these progressives have done their usual political
carpet-crossing, as we have seen in the current
Liberian political dispensation, created political
parties with absolutely no defining political
ideology; cross-dressers, gravy seekers and profiteers
of mayhem and human suffering in Liberia, are still
referred to as ‘remnants’.
A
careful examination of Dukule, Doe and Nyanseor net
workings in and out of Monrovia, and those who know
them provide a glimpse into a seldom seen corner of
their journalistic lives where cozy relationships can
play a defining role in becoming a corrupt figure or
friend to a corrupt personality like the four years
reign of Dr. Amos Sawyer and his Interim Government of
National Unity (IGNU). The Interim Government also had
its share of divided loyalties. This goes to the heart
of my argument that in deed remnants of the
progressives are fearful of a large scale US Military
presence in Liberia.
In
journalism, when a total lack of transparency,
credibility and trust marked the process of reporting,
the readership tend to lose confidence in the
competency, credentials and integrity of the outlet,
in this case the ‘The Perspective’. Yet there are
some fine writers/reporters associated with this
Atlanta based media, whose objectivity on Issues is
highly respected-‘fair and balanced’. Dr.
Dukule’s insistence to remove the section of my
article that talks about my rendezvous with Dr. Sawyer
gives a view that is highly unwelcome and questionable
in journalism. The ethics that govern journalist’s
conduct are specific in context. These principles
guide journalists to make sure they do not allow their
social relationships to create a perception of
partiality and ‘YELLOW JOURNALISM’. Codes of
journalistic ethics have been written in a broad
manner to transcend time. Codes of ethics have forged
professional careers. Part II will further highlight
the second email exchange between Dr. Dukule and me,
over what I will describe as, ‘WHEN PROFESSIONALISM
TESTS INTEGRITY.’
Masu
Fahnbulleh served for over 11 years in the US Armed
Forces as a paratrooper, and participated in numerous
combat and World Wide Contingency Operations. In
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he worked as a
Logistics Coordinator on Defense Contracts with KBR-a
Halliburton Company in Iraq and respectively with CSA,
Ltd. in Kuwait. He can be reach at fahnbullehm@hotmail.com.
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