Thanks to Megan for pointing me to two letters written to the Daily Observer about the Vice series on Liberia. I think the authors are Liberian. Here are excerpts. (The second excerpt references the fact that CNN re-posted the Vice series on their website.)
It is so sad that foreign journalists will come to Liberia and exploit the people, create dubious characters and manipulated video to destroy a country trying to rebuild itself from destruction. -Ivan Mitchell
I used to have a positive attitude, although not uncritical, of CNN. I think BBC is 100 times better. Now, CNN has joined the list of “do-not-watch” channels…Every coin has two sides; good reports tell backgrounds, history, reasons, developments, and not every thing is black or white or neon color. We need time and a careful, educated, humanistic approach to understand Liberia before we talk or report about it. -Kai Kubel
I’m glad you’re blogging about this. One of my friends from Liberia posted a link to those videos on Facebook and started a discussion, nobody making the points you are making about the exploitive nature of that kind of documentary.
At first I was reluctant to critique this film, but as the backlash begins here in Liberia, I’m worried that it threatens the credibility of all foreign journalists living in Liberia. I’ve been here for eight months, criss-crossing northern Liberia on the back of motorcycles, trying my best to report fairly and ethically on critical issues – and surprise, surprise – I’m still alive. This Vice Guide isn’t fair (or good journalism) because it doesn’t present the whole picture. The film crew creates its own precarious situations then sensationalizes the reaction that it gets – i.e. a bunch of white westerners waving expensive equipment in the poorest areas, then portraying their escape from danger like an action film. What disturbs me is that they focus more on the attention they, the filmmakers, get than the real issues. Not to mention the use of archival video out of context. Based on this film, one would think Liberians dine on human flesh for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! I write more on my news blog: http://www.bonnieallen.ca
I admit that it can be compelling and entertaining, but at what cost?
Thanks for these thoughts, Kurtis and Bonnie. Kurtis, I agree, exploitive is the word. Bonnie, I agree that perhaps one of the worst aspects of the series is how it goes between the past and the present as if they are both the present.
-Shelby
A friend told me about this “vice-guide” to Liberia. As a Liberian myself, I’ve lived through three civil wars, one when i was 5, another 7 and the last one 10. I have lived in the U.S since the age of 11. I went back to Liberia, by myself in 2008. I walked around with a huge green Versace bag that my step-father bought me a camcorder and a camera, and I traveled to places (open market) with only my 12 year old newphew, i never got robbed, nobody attempted to rob me nobody attempted to kill me, and everyone could tell that I had traveled recently to Libera. As A Liberian I was apalled to see this video. I went to Libera at age 22 and I had nobody try to rob me. THere were times I had 10 plus children around me but they all wanted their pictures taken, they all wanted to see my video I even handed them the camera to mess around with and they gave it back to me. I was so angered watching this video.
I meet “Evangelist Blahyi” when i went to Liberia. I was kidnapped by NPFL rebels (Charles Taylor rebels) while running away from him in 1996 when he was general butt naked, he was an evil man but that man is truly changed. Shane or who ever he is a very decitful man, he “intentionally” forgot to mention that the last war that Mr. Blahyi fought in was the ‘96′ war when Blahyi was only 25, there was a war in 97, 2000, 2003 (the worse wars which Liberians refer to as WW I, II and III) and many other outbreaks of war in different areas and Mr. Blahyi has never fought in a single war since his transformation in 1996. He has traveled from displacement camp to displacement camp throughout Liberia, Ghana, and Ivory coast telling his story, and begging for forgiveness from Liberians he wronged since 1996. He even told me that there are attempts on his life daily. People that he fought against LURD and NPFL rebels now work side by side because of the rehabilitation home he started to unite ex-combatants and take them off the street. Shane also fail to mention that Mr. Blahyi takes these boys back to people that they’ve wronged and have these boys ask for forgiveness and is also equipping them to fix houses that of people they’e destroyed during the war. This Documentary is a bunch of BULL, I was in Liberia in 2008, The LIberia i left in 96 and the Liberia now are worlds apart. Beautiful locally owned beaches, clean streets in parts of Monrovia, public buses, trash trucks, electricity, running water in parts of Liberia, many foreign investors; even many Leabones who lost there business in the war have return and feel safe in Liberia. I will admit that there is poverty, there are lots of uneducated ex-combatants, Liberia has only had 7 years of peace since the choas that lasted from 1980- 2003, poverty and unemployement can be expected for any country that has gone through what Liberia has gone throught, it takes years to rebuild a country. This documentary is soo false, it has distorted many facts, it has used the situation of desperte people in Liberia and has painted a picture that couldn’t be any further from the truth about Liberia. Here in Washington D.C the drug poverty and AIDS rate is alarming, and D.C is the capitol of the United States of America, who would have thought, there are horrible places in every country. Liberia is a bit worse beause of the years of civil war. But this documentary was just rediculous.
Cannabalism, this was something that rebels practice ritualistically, people did not eat human flesh because there wasn’t any food, what is known as witch doctors, and warlocks are the one who practice these horrible things; Liberians as a whole do not adhere or condone such a thing. In 1990 @ the age of 5 i still remember what we did when we ran out of food in the supermarkets and street vendors, we lived on the food from the land; We ate catfish for weeks, than we ate ‘bubu’ john greens, then we ate paupaya, then green banana, then we ate sugar cane, then people who had shared with other people who did have; This lie about people eating humans because there were no food, is this guy serious; in Liberia it’s nasty disgusting and dispicable to eat a human being as it is frowned upon in America and the West. The few idiots who did these acts drugged up and high on stuff do not represent the majority of Liberia, I’m done ranting,
Mr. Shane Smith really did a diservice to many Liberians and it’s a shame that many people will believe that mess of a Documentary!!!
The only reason some in the West are making a big deal about this trashy documentary is because their darling Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is president. If this documentary had been done while Charles Taylor was president nobody in the West would be questioning it. It would be seen as fact and all because of Charles Taylor’s lack of governance
Aki,
That’s an interesting take. And I’m not sure I disagree. I think you have a good point.
-Shelby