𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮: 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

𝗕𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗞𝘄𝗮𝗯𝗼, 𝗝𝗿.

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿, Alternative Youth Radio-AYR , 𝗭𝗼𝗿𝘇𝗼𝗿, 𝗟𝗼𝗳𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆

May 4,2026

As Liberia joins the rest of the world today to observe World Press Freedom Day, I find myself reflecting not only as a former mainstream media journalist, but also as someone who has spent years helping to build community radio in rural Liberia.

For many of us in the media, press freedom is not just a fine phrase used in speeches. It is something journalists experience, test, and sometimes struggle with in their daily work. It is seen in whether a reporter can ask a hard question without fear. It is seen in whether a radio station can survive without political pressure. It is seen in whether a journalist in Monrovia and a journalist in Zorzor, Salayea, Voinjama, Foya, or any rural community can enjoy the same level of protection and respect.

Liberia has done some important things on paper. Article 15 of the 1986 Constitution protects freedom of expression, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It also recognizes the public’s right to be informed about the government and its functionaries. That makes press freedom not only a media concern, but also a democratic accountability issue.

The Freedom of Information Act of 2010 further strengthened this foundation by giving citizens and journalists the right to request access to public information. Liberia’s Independent Information Commission has described the law as the first comprehensive freedom of information law enacted in West Africa. That was a major step for a country rebuilding its democratic institutions after years of conflict.

Another major step came in 2019 with the passage of the Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of Press Freedom. As reflected in the Act, Liberia amended its Penal Law by repealing criminal libel against the President, sedition, and criminal malevolence. These were laws that had long created fear among journalists and raised serious concerns among media freedom advocates.

These achievements matter. They should not be dismissed. But laws alone do not tell the full story.

The real question is whether these protections are fully felt in the daily work of journalists across the country. Can journalists freely question public officials? Can they investigate corruption without fear? Can media institutions operate without political or economic pressure? Can rural broadcasters survive and serve their communities without being left behind?

That is the heart of this reflection: Liberia has made progress, but press freedom is still not felt equally by every journalist and every media institution across the country.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗳, 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟲–𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration marked an important period for media development in Liberia. As Africa’s first democratically elected female president, she led the country at a time when Liberia was still rebuilding its institutions, restoring public trust, and trying to strengthen democratic governance after years of conflict.

One of the most important media-related achievements of her administration was the passage of the Freedom of Information Act in 2010. The law gave citizens and journalists a legal basis to request public information. For journalists, that was important because access to official information is central to transparency, accountability, and serious public-interest reporting.

Her administration also took another important step in 2012 when President Sirleaf endorsed the Table Mountain Declaration. Media freedom organizations, including IFEX, reported at the time that the Declaration called for the repeal of criminal defamation and insult laws across Africa. For Liberia, the endorsement was a clear public signal that criminal penalties for speech needed to be addressed.

But that commitment was not fully completed during her administration. Liberia still retained speech-related criminal provisions, including criminal libel against the President, sedition, and criminal malevolence. Those laws continued to hang over the media environment until they were repealed years later under the KAK Act.

The danger of that unfinished reform became clearer in 2013, when FrontPage Africa publisher Rodney Sieh was jailed following a libel judgment linked to his newspaper’s reporting. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Sieh was imprisoned after failing to pay damages connected to the case, while FrontPage Africa was also shut down during that period. That case became one of the clearest examples of how legal tools could still be used in ways that threatened critical journalism.

There was also the unresolved issue of the Liberia Broadcasting System. Under the Sirleaf administration, LBS remained a state broadcaster instead of becoming a truly independent public service broadcaster. For any democracy, that distinction is important. A state broadcaster speaks too easily for the government of the day, while a public service broadcaster should serve the public with independence.

Still, the Sirleaf administration should be credited for opening space for media development, supporting the Freedom of Information framework, and allowing donor-supported media capacity-building programs to grow. Community radio also benefited from that period of wider media engagement.

The Sirleaf years, therefore, showed both progress and limitation. Liberia moved forward, but some important reforms were left unfinished.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗵 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

When President George Manneh Weah took office in 2018, he inherited both the gains and the unfinished work of the Sirleaf administration. He also came to power at a time when journalists and media institutions were expecting stronger legal protection.

Early in his administration, President Weah publicly presented himself as a supporter of press freedom. According to an official Executive Mansion report on his meeting with media executives, he promised “200% freedom of expression and press freedom.” That statement raised expectations in the media community.

His administration later delivered one of Liberia’s most important legal reforms for press freedom: the passage of the Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of Press Freedom in 2019. The Act repealed criminal libel against the President, sedition, and criminal malevolence from Liberia’s Penal Law. This was a major achievement and deserves recognition.

For journalists, the KAK Act was not just another law. It removed legal provisions that had created fear and uncertainty for years. It also brought Liberia closer to international standards on freedom of expression.

But again, Liberia’s experience showed that changing the law is one thing; changing the reality on the ground is another.

During the Weah administration, media groups, civil society organizations, and press freedom advocates continued to raise concerns about harassment, intimidation, attacks on journalists, online threats, and pressure on independent media institutions. Reporters Without Borders, while welcoming legal reforms, urged President Weah to do more by condemning verbal attacks and arbitrary arrests of journalists. The Media Foundation for West Africa also reported concerns around attacks, intimidation, and restrictions affecting journalists and media houses during his administration.

There were also economic concerns. Some media actors complained about selective access to government advertising, unpaid bills owed to media institutions, and the difficulty faced by critical outlets operating in an already challenging economy. When media institutions are financially weak, their independence becomes easier to pressure.

This period also saw growing political polarization in the media space. Some outlets were seen as being close to political interests, while others struggled to remain independent under financial and political strain.

So, the Weah administration must be assessed fairly. It delivered a landmark legal reform through the KAK Act, and that should be acknowledged. But the experience of journalists during that period also showed that legal reform alone does not guarantee a safe, fair, and independent media environment.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗡𝘆𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗶, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰–𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai inherited this mixed record when he took office in January 2024. His election brought renewed expectations for democratic accountability, transparency, and institutional reform.

Since assuming office, President Boakai has made public statements in support of a free and responsible press. According to the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, he told media practitioners at the first annual Presidential Media Dinner in April 2025 that under his leadership, Liberia would have “no political prisoners and no press suppression.” He also stated that “criticism is not a threat to democracy; it is its essence.”

Those words are important. They speak directly to the fears of journalists who want assurance that they can work without being treated as enemies of the state. They also create an opportunity for the administration to move beyond statements and support reforms that strengthen press freedom in practice.

Some conversations around reform are already taking place. These include the Freedom of Information framework, journalist protection, community radio sustainability, and the long-standing need to transform the Liberia Broadcasting System into a truly independent public service broadcaster.

One important area is the Liberia Community Radio Sustainability Bill. The New Dawn newspaper reported in December 2025 that the House of Representatives passed a bill dealing with the ownership, management, licensing, sustainability, and operation of community radio stations and sent it to the Senate for concurrence. For those of us who understand the importance of rural radio, this is not a small matter.

Community radio remains one of the most powerful tools for local democracy in Liberia. It reaches communities that national media often do not reach. It gives ordinary people a voice. It helps citizens understand public issues in their own languages and local contexts. Yet many community radio stations continue to operate with limited funding, weak infrastructure, and little protection.

That is why any serious discussion of press freedom in Liberia must include rural journalists. Many of them work with limited legal support, little or no regular income, inadequate training opportunities, and constant pressure from local authorities, political actors, and sometimes even community members.

The Liberia Broadcasting System also remains a major unfinished reform. As long as LBS continues to function as a state broadcaster rather than an independent public broadcaster, questions about editorial independence and public-service accountability will remain.

President Boakai’s public commitments are encouraging. But as his administration continues, the test will be whether those commitments are matched by institutional reforms, equal access to public information, protection for critical journalists, and real support for independent and community-based media.

𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲

Looking at the three administrations together, one thing is clear: Liberia has not been standing still. The country has made real progress in building the legal foundation for press freedom.

The Constitution protects freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The Freedom of Information Act gives citizens and journalists the right to access public information. The KAK Act removed some of the most troubling criminal speech offenses from the Penal Law.

But press freedom is not measured only by laws passed in Monrovia. It is measured by what happens when a journalist asks a difficult question in a press conference. It is measured by what happens when a community radio reporter investigates a local issue. It is measured by whether public officials respond to information requests. It is measured by whether media institutions can survive without becoming politically dependent.

That is where Liberia still has work to do.

Press freedom must be felt by the reporter in the newsroom, the broadcaster in the rural studio, the editor facing political pressure, the talk-show host taking calls from citizens, and the young journalist trying to report the truth without fear.

In that sense, press freedom in Liberia remains between promise and practice. The country has made progress, but the work is not finished.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲

First, Liberia must complete and enforce media-sector reforms. Existing laws such as the Freedom of Information Act and the KAK Act must not only exist on paper; they must be fully respected and implemented.

Second, media regulation and accreditation must be protected from political control. Any system that regulates the media must be transparent, professional, nonpartisan, and trusted by journalists and the public.

Third, the Liberia Broadcasting System should be transformed into a true public service broadcaster. It should not simply serve the government in power. It should serve the Liberian people with independence, fairness, and professionalism.

Fourth, Liberia needs a practical journalist safety mechanism. This should include legal aid, emergency response support, security training, digital safety support, and special attention to rural journalists who often work with limited protection.

Fifth, the country must take media sustainability seriously. Independent media cannot survive on good intentions alone. A transparent and nonpartisan Media Development and Innovation Fund could help support independent media institutions, especially community and rural radio stations, without turning them into political tools.

These steps are not impossible. They only require political will, institutional honesty, and respect for the role of the media in a democracy.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

On this World Press Freedom Day, Liberia has reason to recognize the progress it has made. The country has constitutional protection for free expression. It has a Freedom of Information law. It has repealed some of the criminal speech laws that once threatened journalists.

But we must also be honest. A legal foundation is not the same as a lived reality.

Press freedom must be seen in the safety of reporters, the independence of media institutions, the openness of public officials, the survival of rural media, and the ability of journalists to ask difficult questions without fear.

The question before Liberia today is no longer whether we have laws protecting press freedom. We do.

The deeper question is whether those protections are strong enough in practice to serve every journalist, every media institution, and every citizen’s right to know.

Until that happens, press freedom in Liberia will remain a promise still waiting to become a full democratic reality.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿

James Papy Kwabo, Jr. is a Liberian media development practitioner, former mainstream media journalist, lecturer, and founder of Alternative Youth Radio, a rural community broadcaster based in Zorzor, Lofa County. He currently lectures at Lofa County University, teaching Communications and Media Studies, Public Policy, and Local Government Administration.

He has more than twenty years of experience in journalism, broadcasting, and community media development, with his current work focused on civic education, youth development, rural media sustainability, and the use of radio to strengthen local governance and public participation.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, magna cum laude, with an emphasis in Broadcasting, and a Master of Public Administration with an emphasis in Public Sector Administration.

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