Response to Vice project criticism

Myles Estey, a collaborator on the Vice Travel Guide to Liberia project, responds to all the criticism at his blog, here.  This is an excerpt:

First of all, I want to make it clear that while I have done work with Vice, I do not work for Vice, and differ with them on a lot of issues. They hired me to assist with a project that originally had a lot of positive elements to it, and looked at the complex situation in Liberia. And because they are not afraid to go places that other media outlets are (seemingly) not willing, and talk about important issues in a manner other media cannot (which they have done to great success with past projects), it seemed like a good fit.

…I direct you to the Gettin’ By [series], and any of the blog entries found with that tag, if you doubt that. Or any article I have ever written about Liberia. The whole purpose of my work as a journalist here is to show that many people face great hardship, that real people in Liberia work exceptionally hard to make ends meet, for them and their families, and that Liberia is moving in a positive direction.

…As many people have pointed out, the overall portrait of Liberia they purport as fact is misleading. They touch on some very important ideas facing Liberia, but don’t properly contextualize them.

…My role as a fixer/field producer was to direct Vice to a wide range of stories. What I gave them was a 10-page document of story ideas, both positive and negative. Looking at the challenges of life in West Point, life in some of the remaining squats, and talking to ex-child soldiers and generals and the struggles they were facing, but also involving tons of other positive elements, like music, nightlife, soccer, religion, community leaders and some of the stories you find in my ‘Gettin’ By’ series about real people working exceptionally hard to make ends meet in an honest manner.