Liberia Forest Media Watch (LFMW) has positioned independent journalism as a critical force in forest governance, environmental accountability, and community empowerment, as detailed in its quarterly performance reports presented at a weekend media forum in Paynesville.
The forum, chaired by Paul M. Kanneh, Team Leader of LFMW, brought together journalists, civil society actors, and development partners to review achievements covering the 4th, 5th, and 6th quarters of implementation (February-October 2025). The program is supported by the European Union through the French Development Agency (AFD).
At the center of the discussions was how media advocacy--particularly through LFMW's flagship Forest Hour Radio Show, investigative journalism, and rural reporter capacity building--has translated into arrests, policy actions, institutional reforms, and heightened public participation in forest governance.
LFMW's reports reveal a consistent pattern--media exposure prompting state response.
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One of the most striking outcomes came from Nimba and Grand Gedeh counties, where radio discussions and investigative publications directly preceded enforcement actions against illegal forest exploitation.
Following the appearance of the Chief Officer of Gbei-Gblor Community Forest on Forest Hour in February 2025, community members and local authorities in Nimba arrested Burkinabé migrants involved in illegal cocoa farming and turned them over to the government.
Similarly, sustained reporting on cross-border forest encroachment led the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to publicly announce--on LFMW's platform--that it would head an Intersectoral Taskforce to Liberia's border with Côte d'Ivoire. By April, the taskforce, led by FDA official Gertrude Korvayahn Nyaley, had arrested dozens of migrants in Grand Gedeh County.
"These are not abstract outcomes," Kanneh said during his presentation. "They are direct responses to evidence-based reporting and community voices amplified through the media."
Financial Justice for Forest Communities
The forum also highlighted LFMW's role in advancing community benefits from forest resources.
On March 15, 2025, the Government of Liberia disbursed US$685,101 in land rental fees to forest communities--representing 92 percent of the total amount appropriated. The disbursement followed sustained public engagement and transparency advocacy on Forest Hour.
Later, in July, the National Union of Community Forest Development Committees (NUCFDC) announced the third direct payment of logging revenues into a dedicated community account--an arrangement designed to bypass delays that plagued earlier centralized treasury systems.
A NUCFDC representative explained on Forest Hour that the new mechanism "makes it easier for communities to access what rightfully belongs to them."
LFMW's investigative reporting arm, supported through rural journalist training and the Rural Reporters News Network (RRNN), documented illegal mining, land grabs, and forest destruction across multiple counties.
As a result, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) arrested illegal miners in River Cess, Sinoe, and Montserrado counties and shut down two mining companies in River Cess and Gbarpolu.
The Liberia National Police (LNP) in Grand Kru established a specialized taskforce to combat illegal mining after LFMW reports exposed environmental damage from floating dredges.
The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) launched Operation True Guardian to protect natural resources, an initiative confirmed on Forest Hour.
In one of the most consequential outcomes, the government revoked a 500-acre customary land lease illegally granted to a Burkinabé investor for 30 years. The decision followed a high-level LFMW-led media visit to Grand Gedeh that resulted in five investigative articles.
Building Journalistic Capacity, Especially in Rural Liberia
Beyond enforcement outcomes, LFMW emphasized its growing success in strengthening journalism standards, particularly outside Monrovia. Rural reporters are now producing stories that attract national and international republication, including by AllAfrica, Forest Trends, Environmental Peacebuilding, and Mongabay.
LFMW reporter Junior Kessely, reflecting on one investigation, wrote, "This is what a real investigative story looks like--it consumes time and energy, and it is worth it."
The forum also spotlighted the rise of women journalists, with Joy Mardea Moore, co-presenter of Forest Hour, receiving praise from her mentor as an example of excellence and inspiration for female reporters nationwide.
LFMW's quarterly reports also show progress toward becoming a sustainable, independent media institution.
Key steps include the adoption of internal policies on gender, staffing, finance, and procurement, a draft non-binding MOU with the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) to strengthen land and forest monitoring, collaboration with Global Witness on advanced investigations into cocoa-driven deforestation, and increased digital visibility, with international platforms accurately referencing LFMW's mission and work
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Loggingoff.info and other international platforms have republished LFMW reports, extending their reach beyond Liberia.
While celebrating achievements, the forum also acknowledged challenges. A delayed visit by a technical advisor limited early progress in planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (PMEL), though a subsequent visit strengthened internal understanding and clarified the need for stronger board engagement.
Participants agreed that LFMW's next phase must focus on consolidating gains, deepening institutional support, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Taken together, the quarterly reports presented in Paynesville illustrate how independent media--when properly supported--can move beyond awareness-raising to become a driver of accountability, policy enforcement, and community empowerment.
As Liberia continues to grapple with deforestation, illegal mining, and land conflicts, LFMW's experience demonstrates that journalism is not merely reporting events--it is shaping outcomes.
"Forest governance is not only about laws and institutions," Kanneh concluded. "It is also about information, voice, and the courage to tell the truth consistently."
