From lords of war to leaders in society

How former Liberian warlords have used ‘old’ and ‘new’ media to self-reframe

Bibliographic Data

ID12904686
AuthorsGeraldine O’Mahony (University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author), Jo Ellen Fair (University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume5
Issue1
Pages37-50
Publication date2012-03-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedia War & Conflict (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1750-6352 • E-ISSN: 1750-6360
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1750635211434363
OpenAlexW2020273634
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited17

The process of post-conflict reconstruction in Liberia involves an array of actors vying for power. Many of the key political and civic figures involved are former warlords, whose reigns of terror affected many they now work with and serve. By reframing themselves through social media these warlords have created new centers of power, embracing their new roles as public servants and renouncing past acts of terrorism. This article focuses on two of Liberia’s most notorious former warlords, Prince Johnson and Joshua Blahyi. Johnson, now Senator Johnson, was best known for swilling beer while he conducted the video-taped torture of President Doe. Joshua Blahyi, formerly General Butt Naked, who infamously drank children’s blood before running naked into battle, is now a born-again preacher with his own faith-based NGO. We argue that their use of social media has enabled them to reconstruct and reframe their ‘past lives’, ensuring these cannot become political liabilities

Battle · Cognitive reframing · Faith · Human rights · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Sociology · Terrorism · Torture · History · Law · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Political Conflict and Governance · Social Media and Politics