The Publishers Affiliation of Liberia (PAL) final Friday, July 31, 2025, elected new corps of officers to guide the affairs of the entity for the following three years.
The Affiliation is an umbrella entity representing the enterprise curiosity of Liberian newspapers, magazines, and different periodicals.
The election led to Mr. G. Alphonso Toweh, Writer of The New Republic newspaper, rising because the subsequent President of the affiliation. He was challenged by Mrs. Helen Nah Sammie, of The Ladies Voices Newspaper. The opposite positions had been crammed unopposed: Mr. Bai Sama G. Greatest, Managing Director of the Every day Observer, was elected Vice President; Mrs. C. Winnie Saywah Jimmy, Managing Editor of The Inquirer Newspaper, grew to become Secretary Normal; and Mr. Chester Smith of the Unbiased Probe was elected Monetary Secretary.
The brand new officers succeed the outgoing staff led by Mr. Othello Garblah, Writer of The New Daybreak, who first assumed the presidency by finishing the unfinished time period of his predecessor, Mr. Philipbert Browne, of The Scorching Pepper Newspaper. Following the completion of that time period, Mr. Garblah was elected in his personal proper, together with Vice President Mr. Sam O. Dean, of The Unbiased Newspaper, Secretary Normal Mr. James G. Kiazolu,(who was later appointed as a media coordinator by the Various Nationwide Congress. He resigned his put up) and Monetary Secretary Mr. Abraham Donzo.
The newly elected management takes workplace at a important time for Liberia’s print media sector. Newspapers and magazines proceed to grapple with declining promoting revenues, rising manufacturing prices, continued authorities indebtedness and the sweeping world shift towards digital platforms.
Mr. Toweh
Because the voice of publishers within the nation, the affiliation serves as a significant platform for advancing insurance policies that promote a free press whereas guaranteeing the industrial viability of its members.
In his acceptance remarks, Mr. Toweh thanked the members of the affiliation for his or her confidence and pledged to work in the direction of strengthening the establishment’s advocacy function. “It is a defining second for PAL,” he mentioned.
“We should prioritize the collective curiosity of publishers whereas addressing the enterprise realities of working media enterprises in Liberia. Our business faces severe challenges, however with collaboration and innovation, we will reposition ourselves for development.”
Mr. Toweh mentioned he would run an establishment on unity and assist convey all publishers collectively.
“As I acknowledged through the debate, my administration transferring on the mantle of integrity and transparency in addition to engendering peace and growth in addition to the safety of members.”
“I’ll give my opponent a place that she is going to be capable to additional make use of her potential,” he mentioned.
He additionally known as on the federal government to not commercialize the web site of the presidency.
“That is mistaken. I’ve by no means seen this in any a part of the world the place the official web site of the presidency is used to promote non-public companies. It tells me that somebody is getting cash on the expense of the presidency. We hope this stops.”
The PAL, an affiliate group of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), includes greater than a dozen print and on-line information retailers, with many extra to be included after the induction of elected officers.
The incoming administration, which is elected for a three-year time period with the choice of re-election, is predicted to give attention to fostering higher unity amongst media homeowners, selling enterprise development {and professional} growth alternatives for journalists and media managers, and interesting stakeholders—together with authorities and growth companions—on points affecting the media business.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been within the career for over twenty years. He has labored for a lot of worldwide media retailers together with: West Africa Journal, Africa Week Journal, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Instances, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He’s the present correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in Worldwide Relations and a candidate for second grasp in Worldwide Peace research and Battle Decision from the College of Liberia.
