By Paul M. Kanneh
Several rural journalists have urged President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to think, love and build the media beyond Monrovia, saying his Annual Media Dinner was not an inclusive one.
Some of the rural journalists took to their individual social media pages to express their frustrations for being excluded from the President’s Media Dinner held today in Monrovia.
“The Annual Presidential Media Dinner was limited to Monrovia-based journalists, excluding representatives from the other 14 counties, which undermines local storytelling and inclusive development. The imbalance of more government officials than media attendees was also concerning. The “By Invitation Only” notice on the Executive Mansion-Liberia’s Facebook page highlights the need for improved media leadership, especially from the Press Union of Liberia (PUL). I urge a rethink of this event to include a central or regional gathering that fosters broader participation and representation”, Journalist Henry B. Gboluma, Jr. of Gbarpolu County posted on his page.
Another journalist based in Margibi County, Emmauel Tophic Degleh wrote on his facebook page: “Hope the Monrovia based Media has been Rescue by the Presidential Dinner! We who are based outside Monrovia are here, time will tell”,
In a solidarity statement, the Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL) says it strongly supports the concerns of the rural journalists being left out of the President’s Media Dinner, terming it as a segregation against the rural journalists.
In a statement released in Monrovia, the Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL) said it is concerned about the lack of inclusivity at the President’s Annual Media Dinner.
The association urged the government to reconsider the structure of such national media engagements to ensure they reflect the diverse voices and experiences of journalists across Liberia.
The RAL considers the decision to host a Monrovia-centered event exclusively as a disturbing signal of creeping media segregation, adding, this approach risks deepening the divide between rural and urban media practitioners and undermines the spirit of national media solidarity.
“It is unacceptable that journalists who report from the most remote parts of this country, often under dangerous and challenging conditions, were entirely left out of an event meant to honor and engage the media”, RAL’s release said.
The RAL says it believes that such national event, especially when hosted under the banner of the Presidency, must reflect national character. The association noted that rural journalists are often the first line of reporting on issues ranging from health emergencies to corruption, natural disasters, land conflicts, and human rights violations.
Meanwhile, RAL is calling on President Boakai and the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) to decentralize future media engagements, including the Annual Media Dinner, and ensure meaningful participation from all 15 counties.
