Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.   – Thomas Jefferson

Africa

Liberia

   

{This graph represents scores that have been modified by CIMA so that higher scores indicate a better media situation. It is intended to show trends over time; each index measures significantly different factors of press freedom. To see an explanation for how this graph was created, click here.}
 

IREX Score: 1.96 [IREX Methodology]
{Higher is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 4.00}  


IREX Description:

The local media continue to operate largely unmolested, though functional independence of the press would require a combination of legal and economic safeguards that are lacking currently. The government's failure to date to pass three press-related bills, introduced in the parliament two years ago, is telling. Two of the bills (the Freedom of Information [FOI] Act and the Broadcast Regulatory Commission Act) appear poised to pass, unlike the Act Seeking to Transform the State Broadcaster to a Public Service Broadcaster. While Liberia's president publicly backed the FOI Act, she has remained conspicuously silent on the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) Act. The government of China invested more than $1,000,000 to help LBS achieve a national footprint.

Meanwhile, the general economic situation in which the media is forced to operate has scarcely improved. Salaries of most journalists remain perennially low, even at state-run media outlets. Although government and international data point to overall economic growth, especially at the macroeconomic level, that growth has not affected the media significantly. In fact, the weak business environment, coupled with poor management, has largely stunted professional growth in the media.

However, Liberian media have made some important gains, including the rise of community radio stations across the country, serving to mitigate the urban-rural imbalance. The Internet is emerging as a vast source of news and information, in spite of the high cost, while the proliferation of mobile phones has added a new and powerful dimension to communication. Mobile phone companies have introduced digital EDGE technology, making the Internet accessible in some rural areas.

Read more on IREX’s site…

Freedom House Score: 59 Not Free) [Freedom House Methodology]
{Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to 100}  


 

RSF Score: 22.50 [RSF Methodology]
{Lower is Better, Score Ranges from 0 to ~120}  


 

Committee to Protect Journalists Description: [What is the Committee to Protect Journalists?]

Visit CPJ’s Site for Recent Developments in this Country

 

IFEX News: [What is IFEX?]

Visit IFEX’s Site for Recent News on Media in this Country