“Social Media Should Not Control Traditional Media”

By Darius Karngar Conribuor

Former Voice of America (VoA) Liberia Correspondent, Wiston Monboe, has called on Liberian Journalists to recommit themselves to the core principles of journalistic ethics.

Monboe emphasized integrity, independence and accuracy in news reporting, amid the rise of the Social Media/New Media.

“Social media should not be allowed to control the traditional media,” Monboe told introduction to Journalism students at the Joe Mulbah Center for Journalism and Public Relations (JMC) at the University of Liberia (UL) Capitol Hill campus recently.

He called on his colleagues in the profession to uphold the core principles of traditional and good journalism.

Named after the late UL Communications Department Chairman, Professor Joe Wolobah Mulbah, the JMC was established recently by the UL Department of Communication and Media Studies to offer year-long advanced diploma and certificate programs in PR and Journalism to media professionals.

Mr. Monboe, who left active journalism practice after working as senior producer at the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) and Radio Veritas, is currently a staff of the United Nations, assigned in East Africa. He is currently visiting home.

He served as guest lecturer at the JMC at the introduction to journalism class.

Mr. Monboe said, the ethical discipline is the foundation of credible journalism, despite the widespread nature of social media through the advancement of digital technology.

“Social media is not the standard for the journalism profession,” Monboe told the young professionals.

He added that the principles of good journalism remain the same as traditional media ethics at the heart of the practice.

While sharing his experience in covering stories for both local and international news outlets for many years, he pointed that journalists today use social media to process their works and expand their coverage.

Monboe underscored that one of the fundamental values of the profession is the willingness to listen carefully, verify facts thoroughly, and ensure balance before publishing any report.

Accuracy and fairness, he said, are not optional standards, but essential obligations that safeguard public trust and strengthen democratic accountability.

Mr. Monboe also cautioned journalists against cultivating close personal relationships with public officials, and prominent figures they are assigned to cover; saying: “such associations can compromise objectivity and erode credibility.”

He noted that a journalist’s primary duty is to the truth and to the public, adding that maintaining professional distance is critical to preserving independence and integrity.

His statement comes in the wake of growing calls for higher ethical standards in the country’s media landscape, as media practitioners seek to reinforce public confidence in the press through responsible, balanced, and fact-based reporting, despite the ubiquitous nature of the social media/new media.