FPA Praises ALJA for Effective Media Advocacy In Liberia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-The publisher of Liberia’s leading independent investigative newspaper, FrontPageAfrica (FPA), Rodney Sieh, says the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) persistence in speaking against societal ills in contemporary Liberia is commendable.

Journalist Sieh says ALJA’s continued efforts in bringing to the fore matters concerning injustices, graft and the rule of law in Liberia are laudable and essential for the peace and stability of the country. According to an ALJA press release issued on December 4, 2018, Mr. Sieh spoke recently in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when he launched his book, Journalist on Trial. He said the Association has over the years done a lot of advocacy in addressing national issues that affect the lives of Liberians and Liberia’s political governance.

Sieh, Liberia’s principal investigative journalist recalled that during the eras of the 1980 military coup and the ended 14 years of civil wars, which spanned from 1990 to 2003, scores of Liberians were tortured and brutally sent to their early graves by the perpetrators of those crises under the guise of fighting injustices, corruption, nepotism and favoritism, but regrettably he maintained in present-day Liberia, the same problems are being repeated with impunity. He said there are injustices and rampant corruption in the country. He stated “today we have people in power, who are brazenly engaging in corruption, thievery, nepotism and favoritism, but when the media reports it, then they demonize us. They call us fake news”.

He wondered “why did all those people died?” He urged Liberians to stop shielding the corrupt and the dishonest in their midst because Liberia is the only country they have. Meanwhile, Journalist Sieh is calling on diaspora Liberian community organizations, especially the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) to join ALJA and the Liberian media in the fight against graft and bad governance in Liberia. He noted “ALJA is doing a remarkable job in bring to the fore those critical issues that affect Liberia and its people, but the Association can’t do it alone. The fight against graft and injustices in our country must be a collective effort”.

He called on the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) to complement ALJA’s advocacy initiatives in unearthing societal ills in Liberia. Speaking earlier at the book launch, the Americas based Liberian Journalists’ National President, Moses D. Sandy, commended Mr. Sieh for the publication, and the outstanding media coverage him and the FPA family continue to provide Liberians at home and abroad.

President Sandy said ALJA holds Journalist Sieh and the entire FPA family in high esteem for their investigative, robust, critical, fearless, and un-bias reporting about happenings in the country. He stated “FPA delves into critical, controversial and corrupt stories that most media institutions in Liberia rarely talk about or venture into. We respect Mr. Sieh and the FPA family in their practice of journalism in today’s Liberia”.

ALJA is a conglomeration of current and retired Liberian journalists residing in the Americas. The Association was founded in 1998 in Washington, D.C. ALJA is now 20 years old and it is currently headquartered in New Castle, Delaware. It is a 501c (3) non-profit organization.