*Still image from Vice video

By: Our Staff Reporter

Following Vice magazine’s release of the “documentary” ‘Vice Travel Guide To Liberia’ an opinion poll conducted by Ceasefire Liberia has revealed that Liberians are angry over the manner in which Shane Smith, co-founder of Vice Magazine, only saw the ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’ parts of the country and completely ignored the good things that the post conflict nation is doing in terms of its recovery.

Recently, Vice Magazine’s video series showed on various international media outlets, including CNN.

In the ‘Vice Guide to Travel,’ correspondents from VBS and Vice magazine are dispatched around the world to visit the planet’s most dangerous and weird destinations. Liberia, a country that fought 14-years of civil war, became the latest to fall to what many have described as ‘ugly’ and ‘harmful journalism’ and a detriment to the country’s rapid post-conflict progress.

Vice reported in its 8 part video-documentary that despite the United Nation’s eventual intervention, most of Liberia’s young people continue to live in abject poverty, surrounded by filth, drug addiction, and teenage prostitution. “The former child soldiers who were forced into war have been left to fend for themselves, the murderous warlords who once led them in cannibalistic rampages have taken up as so-called community leaders, and new militias are lying in wait for the opportunity to reclaim their country from a government they rightly mistrust,” the report states.

Many people, including Liberians at home and abroad, as well as non-Liberians including foreign journalists, have since condemned the Vice piece.

Sam Andrews, a petty trader of Central Monrovia said: “This shows that a few foreign journalists would still prefer to paint our country negatively to the outside world for their own selfish gain.”

Vivian Garmondeh, a primary school teacher on Bushrod Island in Monrovia, said: “I think he needs to not only apologize but pay for damage of our country’s image because our leadership and we the citizens of this country have been trying really hard to put Liberia back on good footing and the outside world is seeing it too.”

Varflay Kromah, a student leader at the AME Zion Community College said: “This kind of ugly and selfish journalist needs to be weeded out of that noble profession; infact, I doubt he is a journalist.”

Matthew Fyle of Buchanan said: “We must take out issue with him now to further deter other future would-be dangerous foreign journalists from carrying out similar action against our country.”

The condemnations of Smith and his Vice group has not only been coming out of Liberia and Liberians only. Some foreign journalists, who have either visited Liberia or personally interacted with Liberians, have also added their voice of condemnation.

Ceasefire Liberia’s own Ruthie Ackerman, an American journalist, said: “In fact, I believe that the only solution to combating misrepresentations of Liberia is to counter Vice’s series with stories written by Liberian journalists and media-makers. Because the only way to drown out the noise of the misinformed and mis-intentioned is by telling the truth — and leaving it up to the reader to decide which information to consume. Instead Vice’s piece makes me feel even more firmly committed to the Ceasefire Liberia project and the bloggers who shine a spotlight on their country and communities”.

Penelope Chester, another American who just left Liberia said: “What kind of editorial choice was it to only show images of people getting high, cemetaries and church services held by former warlords? You must realize how completely off-base this is. Did you not meet any friendly, funny (and peace loving??) Liberians? And by the way, Shane, which hotel did you stay in when you were in country? Please don’t tell me you stayed at the Mamba Point, the Cape Hotel or the Royal Hotel – otherwise I’m going to be really pissed that you failed to mention their sushi bars, well stocked bars and wi-fi!”

Commenting on various foreign blogs and websites have been dozens of concerns and subsequent condemnations as well on the matter.

Renee says on Penelope’s blog: “Shane and his ilk only seem to want to appear cool and brave and fool their readers/viewers into thinking they have ventured into parts of the globe where no one would think to step foot cause of the dangers! HA! I am a middle-aged woman under 5′5″ and have never felt personally threatened in the many years I have lived with Liberians in Liberia. I think this so-called documentary says more about its makers than Liberians. That is the real rub for those of us who have lived in Liberia.

Meanwhile, Vice magazine has sent a letter of apology to the Liberian Government for its wrongful documentary. This was revealed during President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s press secretary’s weekly press conference earlier this week.