Newly inducted leadership of the Publishers Association of Liberia called for unity, innovation and stronger financial and institutional support for the country’s media sector at a ceremony held at Monrovia City Hall on Saturday.
Alphonso Toweh, sworn in as PAL president, used his inaugural address to outline an ambitious three-year plan and to warn that Liberia’s traditional print media faces an urgent crossroads.
“The newspaper industry is in a near-plateau state and falling between the clutches of survival and doom,” Toweh said, urging publishers to explore collaboration, mergers and new business models to sustain public-interest journalism.
Toweh thanked predecessors and founding figures of the association, appealed for reconciliation with members who had left PAL, and apologized on behalf of the new leadership for any past grievances.
He stressed the need for collective action and internal consultation — “sit with our employees, ask for their views” — and pledged to engage government and institutional partners for support in training and building sustainability.
Among specific concerns raised, Toweh criticized what he described as the misuse of the official presidency website for private advertising and announced that his administration would form a PAL “crack team” to seek an amicable solution with officials at the Executive Mansion.
He also urged the government to clear outstanding advertising debts, saying timely government payments are critical to printers and media workers.
International partners were lauded for ongoing support, with Toweh singling out USAID and Plan International among others. He said the new PAL administration will pursue expanded partnerships focused on media training, development and sustainability.
World Bank Liberia Country Manager Georgia, representing the Bank at the event, congratulated the new PAL officers and urged them to “hold fast to the Association’s core values; invest in the next generation of leaders; and recognize the Association’s role in shaping Liberia’s narrative and future.”
Georgia emphasized the World Bank’s commitment to access to information and citizen engagement, noting that public information underpins accountability and development. She said the Bank’s upcoming Country Partnership Framework will prioritize creating more and better jobs — a goal that, she added, benefits from an informed and engaged citizenry.
Julius Kanubah, president of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), praised the peaceful and transparent conduct of PAL’s elections and extended the Union’s congratulations to Toweh and his team, which include Bai Sama G. Best, Winnie Saywah Jimmy and Chester Smith.
Kanubah called for a close working relationship between the two bodies on ethics, improved working conditions and institutional sustainability.
“The publishers are one of the core pillars of the media in Liberia,” Kanubah said, urging collaboration on fair, accurate and responsible journalism, and on addressing bread-and-butter issues such as poor pay, lack of health insurance and unstable employment contracts.
He appealed to PAL members to support the PUL’s long-standing goal of constructing a national headquarters — the proposed Stanton Peabody Media House — as a shared institutional priority.
The ceremony drew senior government officials, development partners and media veterans. Outgoing PAL leadership, including Othello Garblah, was thanked for their service.
