Monrovia, Liberia
Saturday, August 30, 2025
Honorable Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice president, Republic of Liberia, members of the senate and house of representatives present, Members of the Judiciary, The Doyen and members of the Diplomatic and Counselor Corp, heads of national and international organisations, Senior government officials present, the Clergy, members of the Liberia National Bar Association, law students, president, Members of the press union of Liberia, special invited guests, our outgoing leadership, family, friends distinguished ladies and gentlemen.
“In all things,” we are instructed by the Holy Book, “to give thanks to God,” our creator and guidance in times of calamity and triumph.
It is against this backdrop that I have come to, first and foremost, acknowledge and give thanks to God, for his bountiful blessings that have shaped, guided and sharpened my path over the years, enabling me to stand here today, being elected and inducted to lead a vibrant institution as the Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL). Indeed, God has been good to me and to all of us, for which we are indebted to him. As Journalists, as PAL, where we would have been, had God not been on our side? We are grateful to him for protecting us against the enemies of journalism – the enemies of story-telling and truth-telling.
Let me extend my thanks and appreciation to the outgone leadership.
Let me also thank the chief architect of this institution, Mr. Roger Seton, Mr. Sando Moore who later handed over to Mr. Stanley Seaklor(who is at times referred to as Omar Bongo) named after former president of Gabon. Let me not forget the big six, headed by the big fish, Philbert Brown.
Professional Colleagues, Invited guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: History educates us that the advent of a new administration over any organization, even a country, is the beginning and dawn of a new chapter. Sometimes, that chapter is one of failure, or one of a thriving success. For the PAL, it is not to say that our induction to steer its affairs, is a start of a remarkable journey of a new order, a new approach, and an ardent determination.
Being cognizant of this, the role of the media is cardinal and critical to national development, we acknowledge the enormity of the task before us. We, however, should not elude the fact that no task is insurmountable in the midst of collective determination and purpose to act together and accept together.
It now behooves us, as PAL and media executives, to harness our energies in a more assertive manner, if we should realize the goals we will set before ourselves.
We have set an ambitious plan that will be executed over the next three years. We therefore urge all of you to watch us along the way as our collective actions will speak for us.
I therefore challenge all of us, listening to me now, to pull out the best in us as elected officers and members of this institution to overturn failures into successes by changing the narratives and shifting the paradigm. Failure should not be associated with us in anyway of form.
Honorable Guest Speaker, invited guests and distinguished colleagues:
As a professional journalist and communication expert, I am not blind to the depth of our challenges, not just as PAL, but also as journalists in general. There is no question about how these challenges have defied and shaped our collective determination to sustain, exemplify and nurture this celebrated journalism fraternity – one without which democracy and society falter and citizens deprived of vital information that brightens and enables them to set future agendas
Today, you will agree with me that the traditional media of radio stations and newspapers, which serve as life-wire and pacesetter, are teetering. The newspaper industry is in a near-plateau state and falling between the clutches of survival and doom.
And knowing this, it is about time that we muster the courage and seek other complimentary means or form some sort of collaboration or merger for the common good of the industry. Let us work together to build institutions and sustain it.
Fellow media colleagues, invited guests:
The question before us is how we galvanize the temerity, the sort of practical actions not only to confront, but to also remedy this situation as urgently as possible. Realistically so, the perspectives gathered from the look of things suggest that we are in a softy place than we were in the last decade. Indeed, we are at a crossroad. A point where if we are not careful it may lead to a very deep decline.
Do we ask ourselves why the unbelievably unprecedented proliferation of media institutions, be it newspaper, online TV or websites, and the rest? Do we care to know the negative or positive, advantage or disadvantage of this trend of events affecting the media?
If our answers are no, then the time is presented to all of us as media managers to go back to ask the hard questions, engage into research, talk to experts, talk to other media colleagues, talk to the reporters. It is time we open ourselves up, sit with our employees, ask for their views on the effective running of the institutions because being a manager or director does not make us experts in thoughts and ideas.
We either address it now or perish with it.
Honorable Guest speaker, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, let me draw your attention one important issue that has been affecting the media for over a decade now.
That is, private institutions using the official website of the presidency to advertise. This is very weird and absurd to say the least. Thank God that we have diplomats in this hall. Please let me know here today or later if the official websites for your respective presidents are bastardized?
Someone at the Executive Mansion is doing serous business at the expense of president Joseph Boakai. And Mr. Vice president, as Chief messenger for the president, please convey to his excellency President Boakai that someone at the Executive Mansion has turned the website into an open advertising ground where any one can just move there to place advertisement on it. Our administration will constitute a crack team of PAL members to meet with officials at the Executive Mansion to find an amicable solution to the issue that is of grave concern to the PAL. Do not reduce the presidency website to GobaChove market; where all sorts of commodities are taken there for sale.
Honorable Guest speaker, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we appreciate the few INGos and NGOs that are still around and doing sporadic advertisements.
In the same vein, governments all over the world, are the largest advertisers with the media. It is time the government settles its financial obligations to the media. Paying our debts is a consequential relief for every media entity struggling to meet its commitments to vendors (printers) and employees.
Many media managers were happy when they heard the appointment of Augustine Ngafuan as minister of Finance that he is a friend to the media and might be somehow sympathetic to the plight of the media. But we are yet to feel his positive impact. We hope we will feel it soon.
While we call on the government to demonstrate the highest degree of commitment to its partnership with the media chorus, our international partners can’t be ignored in appreciating them for the numerous support they have rendered and continue to render; especially USAID, Plan International, and others. And for USAID representative here, or proxy, publishers want you to convey our message to president J. Donald Trump(whom I describe as a no nonsense president -fire for fire) to look at USAID work that it was a help to the Liberian media to some level.
We can’t express how deeply grateful we are to them. Our administration counts on partners for more support, specifically in the area of media training, development, empowerment and sustainability.
This is because the challenges are colossal. An evolving global media landscape requires an up-to-speed local media landscape that responds to reportorial challenges and other core functions of the media. One of our administration’s priorities will be to reach out to these partners to scout new grounds for enhanced collaboration and partnership. The media needs support more than ever before.
Distinguished colleagues, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen:
As I wine down, I want to remind us of the saying “house divided against itself can’t stand.” Also, “Just as our faces our different, so are our hearts,” the holy bible acknowledges. Yet, we are called to the table of love, peace and unity because “two can’t walk together unless they agree.” It is against this background that I genuflect to appeal to our brothers and sisters who left this noble institution for general and personal reasons over the years, to come back on board.
From the book of Ecclesiastes 3:1: written by King Solomon says:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”. It introduces the concept that all things in life happen at their appointed time.
It’s one of the most quoted reflections on the ebb and flow of life, reminding us that every moment has its place and purpose.
Let this time be the time of peace for the PAL, where everyone will reckon the importance of fellowship and commit to it.
I as President of PAL, sincerely apologize for whatever that may have led to the decision to quit PAL. Lynn Johnston once said: “An apology is the glue to life; it can repair just anything.” Kindly accept my apology on behalf of the new leadership.
May God continue to keep and strengthen the PAL, shower his blessings upon us as members, and most importantly, guide us as journalists to write the truth, say the truth, and stand by the truth.
Thank you!!!!!
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