Abstract
The old cliché that journalists write the first draft of history is applicable to most journalistic endeavors and is right on point with Journalist on Trial, a memoir by Liberian journalist Rodney Sieh.
Sieh’s journalism, particularly his founding of Front Page Africa (https://frontpageafricaonline.com/), had him on the front lines in both political theater and political upheaval in his native Liberia and other West African nations such as The Gambia.
The memoir provides a gripping window into the civil war that tore apart his homeland and its aftermath. He writes of the upheaval that reached ordinary citizens, including food shortages, power outages, and the ravages of civil war. He recounts seeing executions and dead bodies on the street and being rounded up by military or police.
The book presents a cast of military strongmen, corrupt politicians, and hopeful reformists who shaped the world around Sieh from boyhood, where his entry into journalism included selling his uncle’s newspaper after school, to exile in neighboring Gambia, to education and journalism jobs at newspapers in the United States.
This book provides an unvarnished look at modern Liberia and other West African nations through the eyes and words of one of the continent’s most prominent journalists.
In addition to weaving in both family stories and modern political history, Sieh tells Liberia’s story, which frequently clashed with the story the government wanted disseminated. This posed serious danger.
While much of the book presents a sobering picture for westerners who may not be entirely familiar with African politics, perhaps the most alarming element for journalists around the world is Sieh’s own legal plight.
A questionable libel case against Sieh resulted in a sentence of 5,000 years in prison. By American standards, the libel suit by a corrupt public official resulted in an equally questionable judgment against Sieh and his Front Page Africa. When he could not satisfy the judgment, Sieh was arrested and imprisoned in Monrovia’s notorious central prison, which was designed to hold 500 prisoners, but held 1,800. Sieh’s description of the harsh, if not inhumane, prison conditions presents a nauseating picture. The journalist, who wrote about corruption, found himself in prison with murderers, rapists, and at least a couple of other political prisoners.
Of his time in jail, Sieh reflected, So, here I was behind these walls again, enduring the rankest smell one could ever imagine. My cellmates knew I was uncomfortable. Behind these hallowed walls anything could happen to anyone. You could fall ill and leave your fate to an ill-equipped clinic outside or even go into convulsions. But what choice did I have? This was where the government had decided to send me, a journalist speaking truth to power, a young man who left his comfort in America to give back to his homeland, to help make journalism a viable force and serve as a watchdog to a vulnerable society.
The despair eventually took its toll on Sieh’s health. His incarceration also generated international publicity and outcry, which eventually contributed to his release from prison, possibly at the urging of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s only elected female leader.
At a time, when journalists around the world are demonized, threatened, jailed, and even killed, Sieh’s book shows how bad it really can be for journalists. This memoir showcases Sieh’s courage, resilience, and dedication to independent journalism. He explains, I take risks to tell stories that are meaningful and impact lives because I hope and pray that in my lifetime, we, as a people, as a country on the continent of Africa, will live without fear, without oppression from dictatorial forces that care only for themselves under the guise of wanting the best for their people.
Sieh challenges those in power and gives a voice to the powerless or the unheard. Although this is a memoir and not a textbook, Sieh embodies the textbook definition of the role of the journalist. We can all learn a lot about journalism and the world around us thanks to Sieh’s book.