By: Staff Writer
MONROVIA – As Liberia joins the global community in observing World Press Freedom Day 2025, the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) has raised alarm over the deteriorating state of press freedom in the country.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Monrovia, CEMESP criticized the government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for what it describes as growing repression and intolerance toward independent journalism.
This year’s World Press Freedom Day is celebrated under the international theme: “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.”
The theme emphasizes the role of the media in addressing environmental challenges, but CEMESP says Liberia’s press faces its own existential threats.
CEMESP highlighted a series of troubling incidents over the past year, including violence, intimidation, and legal threats against journalists and media institutions.
Among them was the February 2025 interrogation of Hot Pepper publisher Philibert Browne by the National Security Agency over a corruption story, and the November 2024 assault on FrontPage Africa reporter Franklin Doloquee in Nimba County. Both incidents, CEMESP noted, were met with silence or inaction from the authorities.
In another case, Spoon Network’s offices were vandalized in September 2024 following critical reporting on government inefficiencies. CEMESP lamented the Liberia National Police’s failure to conduct a credible investigation, calling it part of a “growing pattern of repression.”
“These actions not only undermine constitutional guarantees but also erode public trust in the government’s commitment to transparency,” the statement read.
While condemning the attacks, CEMESP also acknowledged some positive developments. These include the resilience of community radio stations, renewed civil society engagement, and the reactivation of multi-stakeholder dialogue on media reform.
However, the organization believes more needs to be done. It called on the Boakai administration to take concrete steps to protect media freedom, including ensuring the safety of journalists, transforming the Liberia Broadcasting System into a truly independent public service broadcaster, and expediting key legislative reforms.
These include the Independent Media Commission Bill, the Community Radio Sustainability Bill, and the Data Protection Bill, all seen as critical for strengthening media independence and integrity.
“As Liberia stands at a crossroads, CEMESP reminds all stakeholders, especially those in government, that democracy thrives where the press is free, independent, and empowered to speak truth to power without fear,” the statement concluded.
World Press Freedom Day was established by the United Nations in 1993 to raise awareness about the importance of press freedom and remind governments of their duty to uphold it.
