Liberia: World Bank Challenges Journalists to Tell Liberia's Untold Stories

What the report says

World Bank Group Liberia Country Manager Georgia Wallen used the Press Union of Liberia’s 62nd anniversary event in Monrovia to encourage journalists to look beyond official figures and routine headlines and instead report more deeply on the experiences of ordinary Liberians. Speaking on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, Wallen argued that the media can help translate development data into human terms by showing how policies, statistics and national plans affect people in counties, districts and communities.

According to the Liberian Observer report distributed by AllAfrica, Wallen pointed to ongoing and upcoming national data work, including agriculture and household surveys, as examples of information that should be paired with field reporting and community voices. She said stories about farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, youth, women and children are essential to understanding Liberia’s development needs, especially as the country considers long-term planning around population growth and future investment.

Wallen also framed independent media as part of the infrastructure of development, saying that reliable information supports public understanding, accountability and better decision-making by citizens and businesses. She warned that artificial intelligence and social media are making it harder to separate accurate information from falsehoods, which raises the importance of verification, fairness and context in journalism.

The remarks came during a celebration themed around independent media, democracy, accountability and sustainable development. Wallen’s message was that Liberia’s journalists have a continuing role not only in reporting events, but in documenting the realities that shape public policy and national debate.