Liberian newspapers and Monrovia media

Liberia's press publishes in English from Monrovia, with the Daily Observer, FrontPage Africa, The New Dawn, The New Republic or The Analyst, websites such as Smart News Liberia, the LINA news agency and public radio ELBC, nearly all free to read online.

From the 1826 Liberia Herald to today's dailies

The Liberia Herald, founded in Monrovia in 1826 by Charles Force, is one of the first newspapers in West Africa. The country, independent since 1847, later saw a press tied to the Americo-Liberian elite, before the Daily Observer was created in 1981.

Daily Observer, FrontPage Africa, New Dawn: who reads what?

The Daily Observer, founded by Kenneth Y. Best, remains a daily of reference. FrontPage Africa, launched in 2005 by Rodney Sieh, is known for its investigations. The New Dawn, The New Republic and The Analyst round out Monrovia's offer with editorials and political columns.

Liberian English and the languages of the counties

English is the official language and the language of the entire written press. On radio, Liberian English, or Kolokwa, sits alongside Kpelle, Bassa, Grebo, Vai and Loma, especially on the community stations set up across the fifteen counties.

Gbarnga, Buchanan, Harper: community radio

Outside Monrovia, newspapers circulate little, and news travels through community radio stations in Gbarnga, Buchanan, Harper or Zwedru. FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn publish news from the counties, notably on roads, mining concessions and public health.

Smart News Liberia and the new websites

Online-born outlets such as Smart News Liberia or The Liberian Investigator publish quickly and rely on Facebook, the dominant network in the country. The Bush Chicken website, run partly from the United States, offers reporting and analysis on everyday Liberian life.

LINA, the national news agency

The Liberia News Agency, or LINA, falls under the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism. It distributes English-language reports on the activities of the presidency, ministries and counties, and its stories are often reproduced in the Monrovia dailies.

ELBC and the Liberia Broadcasting System

The Liberia Broadcasting System runs ELBC radio and public television, with news bulletins and official broadcasts. In the private sector, Monrovia stations such as Truth FM or OKAY FM host debates and phone-in shows that draw large audiences.

A highly connected Liberian diaspora

The large Liberian diaspora in the United States, notably in Minnesota, Philadelphia and Rhode Island, reads Monrovia's websites and joins debates on Facebook. For the neighbours, see the French-language Guinean press and the press of Côte d'Ivoire.

Mining, rubber and football: economy and sport

Liberia's economy is followed in the business pages of the Daily Observer and FrontPage Africa: iron ore, gold, Firestone rubber and the budget passed by the legislature. In sport, football dominates, with the Lone Star and the memory of George Weah.

Press freedom after the 2019 law

The Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act on press freedom, signed into law in 2019, decriminalised defamation. Journalists still report pressure, costly civil lawsuits and financial difficulties that weaken many Monrovia newsrooms and limit their capacity for independent reporting.

Free access and source verification

Liberian dailies can be read free of charge online, but updates may be irregular. Cross-check a daily such as the Daily Observer with FrontPage Africa, then with the English-language press of Ghana, which also covers the wider subregion.

Why read Liberia alongside Sierra Leone?

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea share the Mano River region, the history of the civil wars from 1989 to 2003 and the 2014 Ebola epidemic. The guide to African newspapers helps you compare how each country's media covered these events.

Following Liberian news from abroad

1. Read the Daily Observer for general news, then FrontPage Africa for investigations and news from the counties.
2. Add reports from the Liberia News Agency to track decisions by the presidency and the ministries.
3. Listen online to ELBC or a private Monrovia station for debates and listener phone-in shows.
4. Follow the Facebook pages of Liberian newspapers, which are often quicker to react than their websites.
5. Compare at least two titles on any political story, since Monrovia's dailies have differing leanings.
6. Check the publication date, because some sites update their pages irregularly.

Access and subscriptions for Liberian newspapers

Key facts about Liberia's media

• Press language: English; radio also in Kpelle, Bassa and other languages
• News agency: Liberia News Agency (LINA)
• Public broadcaster: Liberia Broadcasting System, ELBC radio
• Titles of reference: Daily Observer and FrontPage Africa
• Legal framework: Kamara Abdullah Kamara Act of 2019 on press freedom
• Time zone: GMT (UTC+0)
• Currencies: Liberian dollar (LRD) and US dollar, both in use

Mistakes to avoid with the Liberian press

• Confusing Monrovia's Daily Observer with other newspapers of the same name published in The Gambia, the United Kingdom or elsewhere.
• Taking a paid statement, published in the form of an article, for independent reporting; the practice exists at several Monrovia titles.
• Judging the whole country from the Monrovia press, when the counties get their news mainly from community radio.
• Sharing an old article on Ebola or on the 2023 elections as if it described current events.
• Believing a fake Facebook account that borrows the name of a Liberian newspaper or politician.

Common questions about Liberian newspapers