By Domingo Dargbeh
Deputy British Ambassador in Monrovia, has praised the Liberian media for its role in strengthening forest governance.
Ambassador Joanna Markbreiter spoke of how Liberian journalists have made significant progress in shifting from event-based reporting to more in-depth, data-driven analysis of forest governance issues.
Mb. Markbreiter made the remark over the weekend during the “Forest Media Day” awards ceremony in Monrovia.
The event was organized by the Liberia Media Center (LMC) with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Multi-Stakeholder Forest Governance and Accountability Project (MFGAP).
According to Amb. Markbreiter, targeted training programs, field missions, editorial coaching, and security workshops, have helped Liberian journalists to build expertise in forest laws, policy processes, and environmental governance.
The female envoy particularly commended the media community for a “measurable increase in coverage of forest governance, and illegal activities in the sector.”
“We are here tonight to recognize the top-performing reporters covering the forest sector across print, radio, and online platforms. Beyond celebrating these individual successes, we are also here to acknowledge the broader transformation in Liberia’s media landscape when it comes to forest issues.”
Amb. Markbreiter observed that media outlets across various platforms and audiences have increasingly engaged in reporting on critical forest issues.
She recalled rise in front-page coverages and prime-time news segments.
Amb. Markbreiter added that both the quantity and quality of reporting have improved significantly.
“This gives Liberian journalists the credibility and background needed to produce accurate, impactful reporting that people can use as a basis for action and accountability; the results are tangible.”
“We can see firsthand how the media has strengthened the rule of law, challenging impunity, informing citizens, and shaped policy dialogue in the forest sector.”
She described the media as a vital institution that informs the nation.
She also praised MFGAP as an important forest governance initiative funded by the United Kingdom to ensure that Liberians benefit fairly from their forest resources, while managing them sustainably.
Since 2020, MFGAP has worked to build the capacity of Liberian journalists to report on forest sector issues in ways that inspire action and accountability.
More than 100 Liberian journalists have benefited from several rounds of training under the British government-funded initiative.
To assess the level of reporting by participating journalists, the LMC conducted weekly media monitoring of national and community radio stations, newspapers, and online television platforms.
The monitoring provided periodic assessments of coverage related to media campaigns, commercial forestry, community forestry, and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) issues.
Forest Media Day is an annual event that highlights the work of top-performing Liberian forest reform reporters, who investigate and report on developments in the sector.
Victor A. Mayue, Officer-in-Charge at the LMC, thanked the British government for its continued support to the Liberian media in promoting transparency and accountability in forest governance.
Meanwhile, journalist Eric Opa Doue of Zar Mac Studio in River Cess County, emerged as the first-place winner of the award, followed by Henry B. Gboluma, Jr. of Gbarpolu Radio/TV, while Esau Farr of The DayLight finished third.
Doue received a motorbike as the top prize, Gboluma was awarded a laptop, and Farr received a smartphone.