Amb. Shoniyin Calls on Liberian Media to Reinvent or Risk Irrelevance
Monrovia, Liberia – In a comprehensive and data-driven speech commemorating The Liberian Investigator’s first anniversary, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elias B. Shoniyin on Thursday sent a sobering message to the country’s media sector, “adapt quickly to the digital era or risk a steady decline.”
At the gathering organized by Integrity Media Inc., the keynote speaker told journalists, students, media executives, and public officials that conventional journalism may endure in the age of viral disinformation, but only if it becomes “more digital, never less disciplined.”
“Trust does not come from being first,” he told the audience. “Trust comes from being right and being humble enough to correct yourself when you are wrong.”
Citing local and international data demonstrating sharp drops in print consumption and advertising revenue, he framed the event as a historic turning point. Over the past ten years, newspaper circulation has drastically decreased worldwide, and since 2000, print advertising revenue in large countries has fallen by more than 90%.
He stated that Liberia is not immune to the global media upheaval.
Only 16% of Liberians regularly consume newspapers, compared to 87% who primarily rely on radio, 38% who regularly access news online or through social media, he cited Afrobarometer research. Adding that these statistics indicate an urgent need for print outlets to change.
“If the world is shaking, we cannot pretend Liberia will be stable. But we can decide how to build in the earthquake,” he said.
The speech did not hold back while addressing the internal flaws in Liberia’s media industry. He pointed out that many media organizations do not have defined ethical principles or formal editorial practices, citing recent assessments. However, modest salaries for journalists typically under $100 per month make them vulnerable to political influence and bribery.
“When a journalist is hungry, truth can start to look like a luxury item. But truth is not luxury. Truth should be the meal,” he noted.
He cautioned that certain outlets have been forced to post sponsored content without a clear separation from editorial judgments due to economic fragility and a competitive advertising market. “This behavior undermines public trust.” Amb. Shoniyin who is a prominent Liberian diplomat, academic, and public policy expert with over two decades in international affairs emphasized that rankings do not accurately reflect lived reality while acknowledging advancements in Liberia’s global press freedom ranking.
Liberia has made improvements and is currently ranked in the middle of the world in terms of journalistic freedom. Nonetheless, the nation still has issues with corruption and governance, which affect how journalists work. “Journalism does not float in the air. It operates inside institutions, courts, laws, police behavior, and economic systems,” he said.
Amb. Shoniyin, a Yale World Fellow (2019) with a focus on policy and development, an international affairs specialist with experience in public service and nonprofits, cited documented instances of harassment and media house closures in recent years as a reminder that press freedom needs to be actively safeguarded rather than taken for granted.
Rather than focusing solely on decline, the forum centered on opportunity. The speaker outlined a five-point roadmap for sustainability: Make ethics visible publish editorial policies, correction standards, and conflict-of-interest disclosures. Create rapid verification systems for social media-era misinformation. Diversify revenue streams, including membership models, diaspora engagement, events, and training services. Adopt technology strategically, including AI tools for transcription and workflow without surrendering editorial judgment. Strengthen solidarity and safety mechanisms within the profession.
He argued that small but disciplined newsrooms can outperform larger competitors if they build trust as their primary brand asset. “Truth Is Public Infrastructure.”
Drawing comparisons to diplomacy’s digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amb. Shoniyi stressed that journalism, like diplomacy, must adapt to ultra-fast communication environments without abandoning precision. “Diplomacy did not die. Journalism will not die if it evolves,” he said.
In one of the address’s most striking lines, he described truth as “public infrastructure,” arguing that reliable information is as essential to national development as roads and electricity. “A country cannot develop without roads,” he said. “But it also cannot develop without reliable information.”
The anniversary speech concluded with a call for Liberian journalists to “market the truth not as propaganda, but as service,” and to pursue sustainability “not as compromise, but as independence.”
As misinformation spreads rapidly across social media platforms and economic pressures mount, the message from Amb. Shoniyin was clear: the future of Liberian journalism will depend not only on speed, but on integrity and the willingness to reinvent.
