Media meanings and practices in post-war Liberia: Dissecting Star Radio’s claims of ‘truth’ and ‘objectivity'

This study of Star Radio in Liberia examines the relationship between journalists claims about ‘objectivity’ and ‘neutrality’ on one hand, and on the other, how they present practices on a radio as revealed through framing, focalization and categorization of peace, justice and impunity issues within the phone-in program I Beg to Differ, using this evidence as an explanatory variable to situate the radio station in the strong objectivity discourse which views journalistic objectivity from the perspective of marginalized publics. It dissects claims and practices in the realms of media representations with the argument that complexities and power politics embedded in the media arena tend to contrast actions and words. The study essentially finds that claims of objectivity and neutrality are just the ways that people convey specific dominant notions of power and truth, and these to a large extent dictate the patterns of media reportage.