The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) says it is not part and does not support the printing of new passes by Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs, Eugene Fahngon.
The PUL is urging journalists and Media workers across the country to go about their journalistic work with proper identification cards as required by the joint security.
The PUL, in a release, expressed disapproval to the new directive of Deputy Minister Eugene Fahngon calling for the cancellation of current press passes and the printing of new passes.
The Union says it believes that Deputy Minister Fahngon’s unilateral action, perhaps, is intended to selectively provide accreditation to certain media outlets and deny other media institutions.
Press Union of Liberia President, Charles B. Coffey Jr., has termed as unrealistic and a calculated attempt by Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon to ignore the good work of the media in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic across the country from the unset without passes.
Coffey indicated that journalists have been trained to disseminate factual information about the virus, thus taking some members of the public from the denial stage to the realities of the pandemic.
He said the media continues to play a pivotal role in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic despite the economic hardship being experienced by the media practitioners.
According to him, journalists do not need new passes to inform and educate the public about the Coronavirus pandemic, and urged the Information Ministry to redirect the money for the printing of new passes to strengthening the capacity of the media.
Meanwhile, the Press Union of Liberia says it wants stronger solidarity between and among journalists and media institutions in these difficult times of the nation’s history.
