In a move to boost media professionalism and international cooperation, more than 30 Liberian journalists and communication professionals have departed for the People’s Republic of China to participate in a high-level training seminar on media and communications.
The program, officially titled the “Liberia Media Communication Capacity Seminar,” is being organized by the Hunan International Business Vocational College in collaboration with the Chinese government.
The initiative is part of China’s ongoing commitment to supporting media development across Africa through capacity-building programs and cultural exchange.
Participants in this year’s seminar come from a broad spectrum of Liberia’s media and public communication landscape. The delegation includes representatives from leading media institutions including the Daily Observer Newspaper, FrontPage Africa, The New News Newspaper, Hot Pepper, New Dawn, AfricDaily. Others include journalists and communication officers from key institutions like the Executive Mansion, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Liberia Broadcasting System (ELBC), and the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL), among others.
The two-week seminar in China is designed to enhance the professional skills of media practitioners, with emphasis on digital transformation, international media cooperation, strategic communication, media ethics, innovation, and development journalism.
The training will also include field visits to major Chinese media outlets, cultural tours, and experience-sharing sessions between Chinese and Liberian participants.
According to organizers, the program aims to expose Liberian journalists to modern tools and global media practices that can be adapted to the Liberian context, especially in the face of technological shifts and the growing demand for credible, real-time information.
“The seminar will offer practical and theoretical knowledge in areas such as multimedia reporting, international broadcasting, and communication for development,” said one of the seminar’s coordinators at Hunan International Business Vocational College. “We are excited to welcome the Liberian delegation and look forward to meaningful exchanges.”
This initiative is part of the broader framework of Liberia–China cooperation, particularly under China’s policy of deepening engagement with African countries through human capital development and people-to-people exchange.
“This trip means a lot to the Liberian media community,” said a participating journalist from FeJAL. “It’s a chance to learn new skills, build partnerships, and improve the way we tell our national stories. As female journalists, we are especially interested in how gender perspectives are handled in Chinese media.”
Other delegates expressed optimism that the training will help them bridge the gap between traditional and modern media practices, especially in investigative reporting, public interest communication, and conflict-sensitive journalism.
“We want to return with practical skills that will contribute to a more professional and independent media landscape in Liberia,” said David A.Yates, Deputy Editor of the Daily Observer Newspaper.
The seminar will run until mid-August 2025. Upon their return, participants are expected to share knowledge with their respective institutions and colleagues through step-down training, mentoring, and innovation-driven newsroom reforms.
The Liberia-China media seminar is the latest in a series of bilateral exchange programs aimed at fostering sustainable development, mutual understanding, and capacity enhancement between the two nations.
