By Chrispina Cummings
Parliament has complained over the way the media has been reporting on the Ebola outbreak in the country. The complaint came as the House summoned SLAJ and the media regulator - IMC - to a meeting on Tuesday.
Deputy Speaker, Chernor Bah warned journalists to refrain from propagating “hate messages” saying “it is very difficult to marry issues of human rights and that of state of emergency”.
Bah advised Sierra Leoneans to be “patriotic and respecters of the law” calling on IMC and SLAJ to take responsibility for monitoring radios and newspapers on their reporting on Ebola in a state of emergency. The deputy speaker said that after the Ebola outbreak “every MP, local and international organisations will be fully accountable for monies given to them to fight Ebola”.
Minority Leader, Bernadette Lahai said media institutions were preaching hate messages against MPs and government.
House Majority Leader, Ibrahim Bundu said journalists should be responsible, adding that every citizen should behave responsibly and cooperate with government especially under a state of emergency.
Minister of Justice, Franklin Kargbo, quoting Section 29 (5) of the 1991 constitution, said that in a state of emergency “the constitution is suspended”. He warned that any action could be taken against anyone without a court order.
SLAJ president, Kelvin Lewis cautioned the leadership of parliament in picking up issues with the media. He said “the common enemy everyone is fighting now is Ebola, not the media”.
Lewis said that if certain journalists were not reporting responsibly, those journalists were to be held responsible, and not all journalists. He promised to caution his colleagues against irresponsible journalism, but cautioned parliament that the war on Ebola should not be directed at the media that was also sacrificing in the fight.
IMC boss, Rod Mac Johnson said his office was monitoring the media, assuring that “defaulters will be brought to book”.
(C) Politico 18/09/14
