PHOTO: (L-R) Former Press Union of Liberia leaders, Isaac D.E. Bantu, Emmanuel D. Abalo and Gabriel I.H. Williams.
For Immediate Release Contact: gabrielwilliams028@gmail.com.; Tel: 240-396-7246
Sacramento, CA, USA – In commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), several former leaders of the PUL have issued a statement raising alarm about the declining state of the Liberian media, as well as growing attempts by politicians to disrupt the peace of the fragile post-war country.
The four former PUL leaders who issued the statement September 29, 2025, are Messrs Isaac D.E. Bantu, Emmanuel D. Abalo and Gabriel I.H. Williams.
In their statement, the former PUL leaders reminded Liberian journalists about the Union’s anniversary milestone provides an important moment of reflection, recommitment, and rededication to the noble ideals upon which the Union was founded in 1964. They added that for more than six decades, the PUL has been a beacon of advocacy, sacrifice, and professional service in defense of press freedom, democratic values, and the people’s right to know.
A Call for Introspection
As we celebrate this historic anniversary of the PUL, we also urge the current leadership and membership of the Union to take an honest and introspective look at the ethical and professional shortcomings that have increasingly plagued journalism in Liberia.
The former PUL leaders also pointed to disturbing trends of partisanship, unethical reporting, and disregard for professional standards that have magnified in recent times, which threaten to erode public trust and compromise the Union’s ability to uphold its proud legacy as the defender of free and responsible journalism.
According to the former PUL leaders, a glaring example of how the Liberian press is losing public trust is the stinging rebuke by internationally-respected human rights lawyer, Cllr. Tiawan S. Gongloe, who recently condemned what he called “mercenary journalism” in Liberia.
Cllr. Gongloe is quoted by the local media as saying, “mercenary journalism is dangerous because it turns lies into headlines, and truth into casualties.” He noted that “the act of reducing journalism into cash for content can undermine fair competition, weaken institutions, and pave the way for chaos in society.”
Cllr. Gongloe’s condemnation of the Liberian media, which is supposed to be the conscience of Liberian society to ensure democratic governance and the rule of law, comes amid the proliferation of social media platforms. While the professional integrity of the Liberian media is being compromised, many of the social media platforms are serving as nothing more than eco chambers for political and other nefarious interests, by feeding the public with unsubstantiated information, beliefs and opinions that reinforce their own or for which cash has changed hands.
The former PUL leaders view with alarm the growing number of social media platforms operated by the political opposition and those that support the government, considering that the two opposing groups are turning the fragile post-war country into a powder keg through inflammatory pronouncements and threats of violence. The former PUL executives also added that operators of certain social media platforms have openly announced that their platforms are secretly paying cash to government employees in exchange for stolen documents from various government ministries and agencies, an illegal act that could endanger national security if not addressed aggressively.
Equally troubling, the former PUL leaders pointed out, is the unfinished and highly controversial matter surrounding the use of the US$100,000 donated by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, which was earmarked for the construction of the PUL headquarters.
To date, there has been no full, transparent, and credible accounting of how the funds were utilized, a lingering issue which has stained the Union’s reputation and weakened its moral authority to demand accountability from others in government, civil society, and the private sector.
A Call to Action
We, therefore, call on the present leadership of the PUL to immediately prioritize and conclusively address this matter. Only a transparent and independent audit of the fund’s usage can restore confidence, preserve credibility, and protect the Union’s integrity.
We also call on proprietors of media entities to prioritize the payment of salaries to journalists in their employ.This would help minimize the unprofessional act of cash for content that Cllr. Gongloe condemned, in addition to the need for regular training programs to improve the professional skills of journalists.
This is why we view with grave concern the increasingly polarized political climate in Liberia, characterized by an atmosphere of negativity and verbal hostility, as reflected in the mainstream media and social media, which could easily degenerate into civil disturbance.
In this light, let it be made absolutely clear to all political actors in Liberia that they will be held fully accountable for their actions, especially under international laws, if there is any disruption of Liberia’s fragile peace. As was in the case of rebel leader turned president Charles Taylor and others who profited from the bloodshed and destruction in Liberia, we, as former leaders of the PUL, will not hesitate to advocate for international sanctions against current Liberian politicians who will disrupt the peace. We will also not hesitate to invoke current US laws by instituting legal actions against Liberian politicians, whose political parties or groups will be involved in fomenting unrest in Liberia.
We condemn attacks against journalists by government functionaries, especially the two reported attacks against reporters of Frontpage Africa newspaper recently.
We also call on the government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to speedily release results from investigations being conducted in the series of mysterious fires that occurred recently in Liberia, including the fire at the residence of former President George Weah.
There is also a call for the Boakai government to seriously tackle the troubling cases of rape in the country, including recent allegations of rape against a deputy minister in this government, who the President suspended from office. We call on the government to do more to control the scourge of rape in the country.
Finally, we applaud the renewed commitment to construct the PUL’s national headquarters, the Stanton B. Peabody Media House, named for the man whose imprisonment by the government led to the formation of the PUL by Liberian journalists, in order to seek their collective interests. To support this bold initiative, we pledge our individual contributions, and call upon all members of the Union to rally behind the leadership to make this long-overdue dream a reality.