ALJA Convention to Fund Journalism Training in Liberia

Published: October 16, 2026

ALJA plans a benefit banquet and media fund drive during its 14th National Convention in Providence, Rhode Island, to support journalism training and media development in Liberia.

MONROVIA – The Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas will raise money for journalism training and media development in Liberia at its 14th National Convention, which opens Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island, as members debate the media’s role in restoring public trust in Liberia’s institutions.

The four-day meeting, which runs through Sunday, will center on a benefit banquet and media fund drive Saturday night, the association said in a release signed by its national president, Joey T. Kennedy. The release did not give a fundraising target or say which programs in Liberia the money will support.

Rhode Island state Rep. Nathan W. Biah, who represents District 3 and sits on the House Finance, Education and Innovation and Technology committees, will give the banquet’s keynote address, according to the release.

The convention’s theme is “Strengthening the Rule of Law and Public Trust in Liberia: The Role of the Media.” A plenary session Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Douglas Avenue will take up the challenges facing the Liberian press, the need for stronger legal and institutional protections for journalists and the association’s own operating problems and future direction, the release said.

Journalists and media institutions in Liberia “continue to face challenges that underscore the need for sustained investment in professional training, institutional development, press freedom advocacy, and responsible journalism,” the association said.

Current and former Liberian journalists from across the United States and Liberia are expected, along with policymakers, community leaders and other invited guests. Delegates arrive Thursday, tour Newport, Rhode Island, on Friday before an evening meet-and-greet, and close Sunday with a religious fellowship and barbecue.

ALJA is a nonprofit advocacy group of current and former Liberian journalists living in the Americas.