Monrovia, Liberia — Liberian human rights lawyer and politician, Cllr. Gongloe calls on the media here to acquire Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to do comprehensive investigative stories.
- Liberian lawyer and politician Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, calls on the Press Union of Liberia to empower and train journalists on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools so that the media here can investigate and uncover stolen and hidden wealth illegally acquired by public officials.
Cllr. Gongloe is a member of the progressive intelligential and political leader of the Liberian People's Party.
He recalls that in 2016, the Panama Papers shook the world, with over 11 million leaked documents exposed how world leaders and business elites were hiding wealth in offshore tax havens.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
He notes that this exposé was only possible because investigative journalists used AI-powered tools and data-mining software to process the massive leak.
The former Solicitor General continues that the lesson in this for Liberia, is very simple, adding that someone should just imagine journalists here using similar tools to trace how public funds meant for clinics in Grand Kru or schools in Bong mysteriously vanished, something he says could be addressed thru the power of AI in public interest.
"So what should the Press Union of Liberia do to sustain independent journalism in this brave new digital age? Train journalists in AI and digital tools, not just to compete, but to lead in investigative reporting. Establish ethical standards for technology use in the media, ensuring truth remains the highest goal. Uphold self-regulation, not self-destruction. Journalists must police themselves with integrity before others are forced to do so", Cllr. Gongloe suggests.
Providing contemporary practical example, he says the war between Russia and Ukraine, has seen AI-generated deep fakes, like a fake video of President Zelenskyy announcing surrender going viral. He adds that these are false realities crafted by machines, designed to manipulate hearts, minds, and headlines.
He says lesson Liberian journalists must learn from these examples is that when elections are approaching, journalists should be vigilant. One fake video could inflame ethnic tensions or destabilize a peaceful process.
He reflects some time ago, in India, journalists were reportedly targeted using Pegasus spyware. With the use of this technology their phones were hacked, sources compromised, and investigations derailed. These tools, developed for fighting terror, were turned inward, to suppress dissent.
"The lesson in this example for Liberia is that surveillance without restriction is not security--it is censorship.
Now, let me make one thing absolutely clear: Freedom of the press is not freedom from responsibility.
In the United States, we've seen how some major media outlets were sued by then former President Donald Trump for defamation. While many of those cases were dismissed, a few led to settlements, corrections, and retractions--after it was shown that facts were misrepresented or recklessly reported.
What Liberian journalists must learn from this example is what happens when journalists get it wrong--when headlines are based on rumors rather than facts. When journalists engage in false reporting, the press risks loss of public trust. And without public trust, press freedom could crumble."
Cllr. Gongloe, a former Presidential candidate, made the call during celebration of World Freedom Day, 2025, calling on all journalists in Liberia and around the world, to recommit themselves to the kind of journalism that promotes peace, understanding, national unity, progress and prosperity.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Not the journalism that promotes hate and division. Journalism must be used to bring light to corruption, not confusion to the people. Journalism must be used to help in promoting the building of clinics, classrooms, and trust--not fear, hatred, and doubt. I want to say this, Press freedom is not a gift from government; nor is it the privilege of journalists. It is the right of the people to know the truth as guaranteed by Article 15c of the Constitution of Liberia", he underscores.
Cllr. Gongloe indicates that with that Constitutional provision, citizens, especially journalists can invoke that provision to question authority, and to shape the future of Liberia.
He warns that when exercised responsibly, journalism becomes one of the more powerful and effective instruments of national transformation.
