Alfred Sirleaf, the editor of the famous chalkboard newspaper in the centre of Monrovia, Liberia is disappointed and concerned at the deliberate damage to his newsstand that has left Monrovians without news.
This statement was originally published on mfwa.org on 23 October 2018.
A suspected hit-and-run driver has plunged into the Daily Talk newsstand, crushing the unique news chalkboard which provides information to hundreds of Monrovia’s citizens every day.
The Daily Talk is a huge chalkboard used by a journalist, Alfred Sirleaf, to discuss and condemn social ills in Liberia.
Established in May 14, 2000, the Chalkboard newspaper uses graphics, numbers and text to explain daily events to its audience. The concept has gained wide appeal among ordinary residents of Monrovia with its captivating stories about corruption, nepotism, politics and other topical issues in the country.
Sirleaf believes the chalkboard was targeted by the driver who rammed his vehicle into the newsstand and sped away on October 17, 2018.
“I don’t think it was an accident. The guy (driver) came from Congo Town, avoided the steel pillars and came to the front and hit the board. I want to believe this act was deliberate. I think somebody who don’t love what we’re doing came to destroy the Daily Talk”, Sirleaf told FrontPageAfrica.com.
The incident has been reported to the police by Sirleaf who has vowed to erect the chalkboard again.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the BBC, the journalist said he has become concerned about his personal security since the incident.
The MFWA calls for through investigations into the seeming attack on the Daily Talk and calls for protection for its editor.
