Journalist Thomas Dixon Questions Minister’s Role as Moderator of Presidential Town Hall

Journalist and social commentator Thomas Dixon has criticised the decision to have the Minister of Information and Civic Education moderate the recent Presidential Town Hall in Makeni, arguing that such public engagements should be facilitated by an independent moderator.

Speaking on Liberty Online TV, Dixon acknowledged the importance of providing opportunities for the President and government officials to engage directly with citizens but questioned the format adopted for the Makeni event.

“Any opportunity for the government, whether the President or ministers, to talk to its citizens is a laudable one,” Dixon said.

However, he argued that having a government official moderate a presidential programme could undermine public confidence in the neutrality of the engagement.

“When a President’s programme is conducted by government officials or the chief propagandist, in media we call that ‘masturbation,’” he stated.

Dixon maintained that although the Presidential Town Hall in Makeni was a commendable initiative, the choice of moderator was inappropriate.

“Having the Minister of Information serve as the anchor for that programme was not the right approach. You might as well find an independent person, not just a journalist, to moderate it,” he said.

According to Dixon, appointing an independent moderator would enhance public confidence in government-led engagements and promote a more balanced and credible discussion.

His comments follow the Presidential Town Hall held in Makeni, during which President Julius Maada Bio engaged citizens on a range of national issues.

Dixon’s remarks have since generated discussion on the role of independent moderation and the importance of perceived neutrality in public engagements involving government leaders.

This version is more polished, maintains a neutral tone, clearly attributes all opinions to Dixon, and follows standard news writing conventions.