The Association of Liberia Community Radio (ALICOR) has commended Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence following her office’s sponsorship of an intensive international media-training initiative for 11 Liberian broadcast journalists.
The $21,000 corporate social investment fully funded the broadcasters to attend a comprehensive, five-week professional development program in Abuja, Nigeria.
For the majority of the selected participants, the program represents their first opportunity to receive international media training. Crucially, ALICOR highlighted that the initiative intentionally prioritized on-air talent and broadcasters serving outside the capital city of Monrovia.
The sponsored curriculum in Abuja was designed to directly upgrade the technical and operational skillsets required by modern radio stations. The five-week program provided the broadcasters with hands-on training in key areas, including Broadcast Presentation & Public Relations; Audio and Video Editing; Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Communication; Digital Content Creation & Graphic Design, Digital Marketing.
By integrating emerging technologies like AI with traditional presentation skills, the training aims to help community stations modernize their operations and expand their reach onto digital platforms.
In its official press release, ALICOR emphasized that radio remains the single most critical lifeline for news, civic engagement, and public accountability for thousands of citizens living in Liberia’s rural counties.
“Community radio continues to bridge the information gap between government and citizens in underserved communities,” ALICOR stated. “Investing in the capacity of community journalists is an investment in democracy, good governance, and informed public participation.”
The association highly praised the Senate Pro Tempore’s decision to look past the capital city when selecting candidates, noting that the move actively reinforces the reality that “Monrovia is not Liberia.” ALICOR added that county-based radio professionals deserve equal access to advanced training to elevate the quality of national discourse.
Looking ahead, ALICOR is utilizing the success of this program to advocate for systemic capacity building across the country’s broadcast landscape.
The association has formally called upon the Executive Mansion, public institutions, private sector actors, and international development partners to scale up similar funding models for rural media workers.
Furthermore, ALICOR urged the government to ensure that county-based radio journalists are actively included in official international media delegations traveling to major regional and global summits. The group specifically noted that regional stations should have a voice on the ground at assemblies hosted by the Mano River Union (MRU), ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
ALICOR concluded by reaffirming its long-term commitment to the structural growth, legal protection, and economic sustainability of Liberia’s independent community radio sector.