A popular U.S.-based Liberian Internet Websitesays it has begun a coverage boycott of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 'sExecutive Mansion and the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs andTourism.
In observance of World PressFreedom Day over the weekend, FrontPage Africa says it has stopped covering newsconferences, speeches and all announcements and activities about PresidentSirleaf's office and the ministry of information because gaining access tothese events has proven to be difficult.
But acting minister of information Cletus Sieh (no relationship toRodney) said the Sirleaf government is an advocate for press freedom andwould not muscle the press.
FrontPage Africa Publisher and Editor Rodney Siehtold VOA the boycott was necessary because the Sirleafgovernment has either denied or ignored repeated requests for accreditation toweekly news briefings or presidential press conferences.
"Forsome time, our website has been very pro-active, aggressive in terms ofexposing corruption and ills in the Liberian society. And apparently someforces in the government have felt that we are anti-government, and they havecontinuously labeled us as anti-government forces. Last week, the presidentmade a trip to Gbarnga, Bong County, and one of our reporters tried to get onthe bus and he was rejected. And he had to get on the bus taking the policeescort to go to Gbarnga. Even with all that, we still manage to continuepublishing the Executive Mansion press releases, the ministry of informationpresses. But we feel that if they want to control what we publish, and theywill not allow us access to the Executive Mansion press conferences and newsconferences and stuff like that, we might as well not carry anything fromthem," he said.
Siehsaid he has made known his concerns to the Executive Mansion and the ministryof information.
"I'vediscussed this issue with the Press Union (of Liberia) President, Mr. Quoiquoi(Peter); I've communicated with the Executive Mansion and with the ministry ofinformation; I've made the president's office aware about the boycott," Siehsaid.
Hesingled out Minister of Information Laurence Bropleh and other responsible forPresident Sirleaf's public relations of creating a what he called a 'brickwall' between his organization's work and the President's office.
"Thereare some forces in the government who have the perception that we areanti-government forces, and they feel that giving us access to certain placeswe would may write negative stories about the government. But that's not thecase. All we want is a chance to report objectively and carry stories thatwould reflect the condition in Liberia today," he said.
Siehagain denied that his Website was only interested in publishing negativestories about the Sirleaf government as some of the President's aides have reportedlyclaimed.
"Weare just trying to change the mind set, change the conditions in the countrythrough our work and expose the ills in our society because over 250,000 peopledied in this country because of the war (Liberia's civil war). On April 12,1980 people were executed on the South Beach because of corruption. And we tryto do our best to expose these things, and some people feel that we are athreat to them, and this has to stop," Sieh said.
Actingminister of information Cletus Sieh (not related to Rodney Sieh) told VOA theSirleaf government is an advocate for press freedom and would not muscle themedia.
"Letme assure him that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government has declared corruptionas public enemy No.1. No one is going to be harassed or intimidated because oftheir reportage of corruption and all of that. The government most of the timetells journalists that look, you have to be balanced in your reporting. Andwith all of these excesses that come from of these journalists, no newspaperhas been shot down, no radio station has been shot down, no one has been takento court because we stood for press freedom, we stood freedom of expression andall of that. So this government is not going to muscle the press in any way,"Cletus Sieh said.