The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to do more to address the problems facing Liberia’s media and leave behind a strong media legacy.
PUL President Julius Kanubah made the call Saturday at the Second Annual Presidential Media Dinner held at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
Kanubah said Liberia has made progress in promoting press freedom, pointing to the Freedom of Information Act and the Kamara Abdullai Kamara Act of Press Freedom, as well as the growth of community radio.
But he said many media houses, especially community radio stations, continue to struggle with poor electricity supply, limited equipment, low advertising revenue, high operating costs and a lack of training opportunities.
Kanubah said the PUL raised many of these concerns during the first Presidential Media Dinner in April 2025, but little progress has been made.
“More than a year later, Excellency, we are yet to see significant progress toward comprehensive ELBC reform, structured support for community radio, improved working conditions for journalists, or a national framework for media sustainability,” Kanubah said.
He called for the government to develop and pass a Liberia Media Governance and Sustainability Act to provide clear support for independent and professional journalism.
“The PUL stands ready to collaborate with your administration, because credible journalism remains the lifeblood and oxygen of democracy,” Kanubah told President Boakai.
The PUL president also reminded President Boakai that previous administrations took steps that affected the media sector.
He said former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration passed the Freedom of Information Act, endorsed the Declaration of Table Mountain and contributed US$100,000 toward the construction of a PUL headquarters.
Kanubah also said former President George Weah’s administration passed the Kamara Abdullai Kamara Act and provided a headquarters for the Female Journalists Association of Liberia.
Against that background, he asked: “What will be the media legacy of the Joseph Nyuma Boakai administration?”
Kanubah also raised the long-running issue surrounding the US$100,000 contribution made during the Sirleaf administration, saying questions about the use of the money remain.
Despite the controversy, he said the PUL remains committed to transparency and wants to complete its headquarters on land acquired since 1997.
He appealed to President Boakai to help the Union complete the project, which he said would provide a permanent home for press freedom, journalism training and the protection of journalists.
“As we wine and dine, may this dinner serve as a defining moment of intervention toward the construction of the PUL Headquarters,” Kanubah said.
The Second Annual Presidential Media Dinner brought together President Boakai, government officials, journalists, media managers and other stakeholders to discuss issues affecting Liberia’s media sector.
