Reported by: Prince Saah
Monrovia, Liberia – Julius Kanubah, president of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), has advised public institutions and government representatives to embrace openness, professionalism, and positive public participation rather than utilizing governmental forums to attack detractors.
At the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority’s (NaFAA) Open Media House launch on Bushrod Island on Wednesday, July 8, 2027, Kanubah stated that government agencies should “shun the politics of confrontation and insults” when disseminating public information and refrain from turning into “attack dogs.”
“This initiative by NaFAA shows that rather than being an attack dog, NaFAA, like some other institutions of government, is proactive and responsible in providing relevant information about its work, achievements, and challenges,” Kanubah declared.
He argued that transparent communication strengthens public confidence in government and should replace hostile exchanges with critics and the media. In reference to President Joseph N. Boakai’s frequently quoted statement about ignoring “barking dogs,” Kanubah stated that public servants shouldn’t permit government institutions to turn into tools of political conflict.
“If President JNB is noted for advancing the narrative of not paying attention to ‘barking dogs’, it is important for actors in government not to transform their institutions into attack dog,” he stressed.
Kanubah commended NaFAA for creating the Open Media House, characterizing the project as a significant step toward improving public access to data on Liberia’s aquaculture and fisheries industry while encouraging accountability and openness. He pointed out that prominent journalists and media organizations have already shown a great deal of interest in the platform, highlighting the significance of open communication between the government and the press.
The PUL president also reiterated the media’s constitutional duty as society’s watchdog, urging reporters to continue keeping institutions and public officials, including NAFAA itself, accountable. “As the media is the watchdog of society, we would like to encourage all journalists and media institutions to continue to hold to account actors and institutions exercising public authority,” he said.
Kanubah also encouraged reporters covering the fisheries and aquaculture industry to write accurate, unbiased, factual, and powerful stories based on the fundamental values of journalism: responsibility, fairness, accuracy, and impartiality. He thanked NaFAA and its partners for initiating what he called a laudable transparency project and called for increased cooperation between government institutions and the media in furthering the public interest.
