Liberia: PUL Raises Concerns Over Corruption Initiatives
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has raised significant concerns about the ongoing fight against corruption in Liberia, especially in light of recent acknowledgments by the government to the pervasive nature of corruption within the country.
The Union said the frequent description of corruption as “public enemy number one,” “vampire,” “cancer,” and “king kong’ indicates that efforts to combat corruption have not produced the expected outcomes for the public.
Addressing the opening session of the two-day training workshop in Ganta on August 7, 2025, PUL President Julius Kanubah stressed the need for a genuine and collaborative partnership among government entities, civil society organizations, and international partners to address corruption effectively.
focused on investigative journalism and anti-corruption efforts,
The training, which focused on investigative journalism and anti corruption was organized by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and also funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.
It is held under the theme “Uncovering the Facts: Strengthening Integrity through Journalism.”
Accordingly, the training is part of a larger project aimed at “Empowering Citizens and Communities to Foster Social Accountability and Transparency in Governance and Public Service Delivery.”
Mr. Kanubah in his opening address, commended the LACC and UNDP for their commitment to building the capacity of journalists.
He criticized the tendency of some local and international organizations, including government institutions to unilaterally organize and conduct journalists’ training without engaging the PUL.
He highlighted the vital role the union played in shaping the design, implementation, and evaluation of such initiatives, saying, “While it is a good intention of capacity building, it is crucial to recognize that outcomes may not meet expectations if relevant stakeholders are not fully included.”
The PUL boss called for targeted and sustained investments in investigative journalism and anti-corruption reporting to institutionalize the fight against corruption, particularly within a media landscape often influenced by political and economic interests.
The training is attended by 30 Liberian journalists, including 12 women and 18 male, representing diverse regions across the country, with facilitators from the LACC, various media organizations, and the United Nations.
Some of the topics outlined in the training include LACC’s mandate, asset declaration processes, understanding of corruption, developmental reporting, investigative journalism techniques and documentary evidence examination.
Other topics include, digital forensics, data analytics, the use of artificial intelligence in investigative journalism, and ethical reporting on social media.
By Liberian Observer.
