NATIONAL NEWS
BUCHANAN – Press Union of Liberia President Julius Kanubah has called for sustained investment in the capacity of community radio journalists, warning that effective reporting is essential to ensuring transparency, accountability and public participation in Liberia’s fiscal decentralization process.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Speaking Thursday in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, at the opening of a training program on strengthening community radio journalism for effective reporting on fiscal decentralization, Mr. Kanubah said community radio remains one of the most accessible and trusted platforms for rural and marginalized Liberians.
He said community radio serves as a critical bridge between national fiscal policies and local realities by providing platforms for dialogue, amplifying community voices and helping citizens understand issues surrounding public budgets, service delivery and accountability.
Mr. Kanubah acknowledged several challenges confronting community radio journalism, including limited technical capacity to interpret complex fiscal data, inadequate training in investigative and accountability reporting, poor equipment, weak internet connectivity and financial instability. He also cited political and social pressures that could undermine the independence and impartiality of journalists.
According to the PUL president, addressing these challenges requires sustained capacity building, including training journalists in budget literacy, public finance reporting and data storytelling, while strengthening ethical standards to promote fairness, accuracy, impartiality and responsible journalism.
Mr. Kanubah commended the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for organizing the training, describing it as an important step toward equipping journalists with the knowledge and skills needed to make fiscal decentralization understandable and relevant to ordinary Liberians.
He stressed that the PUL is prepared to work with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and local governments to strengthen partnerships and improve journalists’ access to fiscal information.
The PUL president also urged participating journalists to take the training seriously and apply the knowledge gained to increase both the quantity and quality of reporting on fiscal decentralization.
He said stronger reporting could contribute to greater transparency and accountability in local governance, empower citizens to monitor public spending and demand better services, and build trust between communities, local authorities and the national government.
Mr. Kanubah further cautioned that the training should not be treated as a one-time exercise, noting that Liberia’s growing and diverse media landscape requires continuous professional development.
He disclosed that the ongoing mapping of Liberia’s media landscape has identified approximately 200 radio stations, about 50 print media institutions, around six television stations and numerous standalone online media outlets, many of which operate at the community level.
He said continued investment in media capacity would be necessary to ensure that community radio and other media platforms remain effective partners in promoting fiscal decentralization, democratic governance and sustainable development in Liberia.
In his remarks, Mr. Kanubah also acknowledged the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs Anthony G. Myers, Coordinator of the Fiscal Decentralization Unit Dr. Romeo D.N. Gbartea, Mrs. Faith Hoy Holman of the Fiscal Decentralization Unit, and Communication Consultant Daniel Nyakonah for their roles in organizing and facilitating the engagement.
The training brought together journalists, media practitioners and local government officials as Liberia seeks to strengthen public understanding and oversight of fiscal decentralization.
