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Mass media in Liberia

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A Cellcom Liberia antenna in Monrovia, 2009

Mass media in Liberia include the press, radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet. Much of Liberia's communications infrastructure was destroyed or plundered during the two civil wars (1989–1996 and 1999–2003).[1] With low rates of adult literacy and high poverty rates, television and newspaper use is limited, leaving radio as the predominant means of communicating with the public.[2] Even as it struggles with economic and political constraints, Liberia's media environment is expanding. The number of registered newspapers and radio stations (many of them community stations) is on the rise despite limited market potential. And politically critical content and investigative pieces do get published or broadcast.[3]

Press

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The main newspapers are:[4]


Defunct newspapers and magazines include:[10]

  • Africa League
  • African Nationalist[11]
  • Africa's Luminary (est. 1839)
  • Amulet (est. 1839)
  • Daily Listener (est. 1950)
  • Footprints Today (est. 1984)
  • Geez Liberia [12]
  • The Friend
  • Independent Weekly
  • Journal of Commerce and Industry
  • Liberia and West Africa (ceased in 1932)
  • Liberia Herald (est. 1826)[13]
  • Liberian Age (est. 1946)
  • Liberian Herald
  • Liberian News[11]
  • Liberian Recorder (est. 1897)
  • Liberian Star (est. 1839)
  • Monrovia Observer (est. 1878)
  • Palm Magazine
  • SunTimes
  • Weekly Mirror[11]
  • Whirlwind[11]

Radio

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Main article: List of radio stations in Liberia

Television

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Telephones

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The Comium mobile phone building (2006).
See also: Telephone numbers in Liberia

The fixed line infrastructure of Liberia was nearly completely destroyed during the civil wars (1989-1996 and 1999–2003).[1]

Prior to the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 2007, the state-owned Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LIBTELCO) held a legal monopoly for all fixed line services in Liberia, and remains the sole licensed fixed line telephone service provider in the country.[25]

Following the liberalization of Liberia's telecommunications sector in the 2000s, private investment and mobile network expansion significantly increased access to communications services across the country.[26] The sector remains constrained by unreliable electricity, limited domestic fiber infrastructure, and high operating costs, particularly outside Monrovia.[26]

Two major GSM cellular mobile service providers operate in Liberia: Lonestar Cell MTN and Orange Liberia.[1][27]

Internet

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The landing of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable significantly improved Liberia's international connectivity and broadband capacity.[26] The expansion of mobile broadband services increased internet access, although service quality and affordability remained major constraints, particularly in rural areas.[26]

In January 2025, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority granted a one-year provisional license to Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, to provide nationwide internet services in Liberia.[28][29] The introduction of satellite broadband services expanded internet access options in rural and underserved parts of the country.[29]

Internet censorship and surveillance

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There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms.[33]

The constitution provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. Libel and national security laws place some limits on freedom of speech. Individuals can generally criticize the government publicly or privately without reprisal. Some journalists practice self-censorship. The constitution prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice.[33]

President Sirleaf endorsed and signed the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers' Declaration of Table Mountain in Monrovia on 21 July 2012, committing to the core principles of a free press and calling for the repeal of the criminal defamation and insult laws regularly used against journalists.[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "PPIAF Supports Telecommunications Reform and Liberalization in Liberia" (PDF). Public-Private Infrastructure Facility (PPIAF). July 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Introduction to Communication and Development in Liberia" Archived 2014-03-07 at the Wayback Machine, AudienceScapes. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Media Environment and Regulation in Liberia" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, AudienceScapes. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Liberia Newspapers and News on the Internet", Africa South of the Sahara, Stanford University Libraries. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Liberia: LMC Extols Media Institutions", The NEWS, 16 September 2008, AllAfrica. (subscription required)
  6. ^ a b c "Liberia: Media and Publishing". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Liberia profile", BBC News, 14 March 2012.
  8. ^ Lydia Polgreen (4 August 2006). "All the News That Fits: Liberia's Blackboard Headlines". The New York Times.
  9. ^ a b "Media regulator recommends support for local media coverage of truth commission", BBC Monitoring Africa, 27 June 2008.
  10. ^ Falola 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d Newspaper & Current Periodical Room. "Liberia". 19th and 20th Century Foreign Newspapers in Original Format: Inventory. Washington DC: U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  12. ^ Mma, Ghana (2025-01-28). "Geez Liberia Wins Blog of the Year at 2025 Paynesville Entertainment Awards". Ghanamma.com. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  13. ^ D. Elwood Dunn; et al. (2001). Historical Dictionary of Liberia (2nd ed.). Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-1-4616-5931-0.
  14. ^ "Most Used Media Outlets in Liberia" Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine, AudienceScapes. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g "Communications: Liberia", World Factbook, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 28 January 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  16. ^ a b "Liberia: Radio Station Websites", Radio Station World. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  17. ^ "OK FM - 99.5 - Liberia - Monrovia | GooRadios". gooradios.com. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
  18. ^ Kanneh, Abraham (2018-07-27). "Home - OK FM". Retrieved 2026-03-20.
  19. ^ "Liberia: Press Union names Star Radio as radio station of year", BBC Monitoring Africa, 30 July 2008.
  20. ^ "Firestone launches radio station 89.5 FM". The Informer. AllAfrica. 3 March 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2010. (subscription required)
  21. ^ "Firestone Liberia Introduces "Back to Farm" Radio Show on Voice of Firestone". FrontPage Africa. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  22. ^ "INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION" (PDF).
  23. ^ Dialing Procedures (International Prefix, National (Trunk) Prefix and National (Significant) Number) (in Accordance with ITY-T Recommendation E.164 (11/2010)), Annex to ITU Operational Bulletin No. 994-15.XII.2011, International Telecommunication Union (ITU, Geneva), 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  24. ^ "ACE: Africa Coast to Europe", Orange SA. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  25. ^ "About Us" Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, Liberia Telecommunications Corporation. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  26. ^ a b c d "Liberia - Telecommunications Services". Privacy Shield. International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  27. ^ "Orange Rebrands Cellcom to Orange Liberia". The Fast Mode. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  28. ^ "Digital 2025: Liberia". DataReportal. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  29. ^ "Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) - Liberia". World Bank. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  30. ^ "Active mobile-broadband subscriptions - Liberia". International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  31. ^ a b c "Liberia", Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 25 March 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2014.

General sources

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Further reading

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