Published: October 20, 2025
MONROVIA – The recent apology issued by the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) to Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has reignited long-standing criticism that the state-owned media institution functions less as a public service broadcaster and more as a propaganda arm of successive governments.
The controversy unfolded after LBS aired a false report in its local Mano and Gio broadcasts on October 4 and 6, 2025, alleging that Senator Kogar had “arranged to sell properties belonging to the late Senator Prince Y. Johnson.” The story quickly spread across Nimba County, triggering outrage and confusion among citizens still mourning the loss of their influential former senator.
Kogar, visibly incensed, described the report as “unfounded, misleading, and malicious,” asserting that it was not only false but also politically motivated. “The consequences of such erroneous reportage are not inconsequential,” Kogar said in a statement. “It injures my integrity, my relationship with the late Senator’s family, and the people of Nimba County whom I represent.”
He demanded an “unqualified retraction,” calling the broadcast a gross abuse of the state media’s platform and a reflection of how power has historically been used to manipulate public opinion.
LBS Admits Error but Critics Say the Problem Runs Deeper
In a rare act of accountability, LBS Director General Eugene L. Fahngon issued a formal apology and confirmed that disciplinary action was taken against the staff involved. Fahngon said a three-member panel found that the broadcast “violated editorial and ethical standards,” adding that the report was immediately retracted and removed from all platforms.
“Management expresses sincere apologies to Senator Kogar for the reputational harm caused,” Fahngon said, adding, “We have instituted corrective measures to prevent recurrence and reaffirm our commitment to professionalism and accuracy.”
While the apology was welcomed by some as a step toward reform, media watchdogs and civil society leaders argue that the incident underscores a deeper, systemic issue within the LBS — one rooted in state control, political influence, and the absence of editorial independence.
“The problem is not one announcer; it’s institutional,” said media analyst and lecturer T. Momolu Kollie. “The LBS continues to serve the interests of those in power rather than the taxpayers who fund it. Every administration uses it to amplify government narratives and silence dissenting voices.”
From Doe to Boakai: A Culture of Control
Since its founding, the LBS has operated under tight government supervision, its budget and leadership directly controlled by the Executive Mansion. Successive administrations — from Samuel Doe to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, George Weah, and now Joseph Boakai — have all faced accusations of using the broadcaster to promote official agendas while marginalizing critical voices.
The station’s news coverage, critics argue, often mirrors the tone and talking points of the ruling party. Opposition figures routinely complain of unequal airtime, censorship, or deliberate misrepresentation.
A former senior producer, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, told The Liberian Investigator that editorial independence “is more theoretical than real” at LBS. “When the government sneezes, the newsroom catches a cold,” he said, furthering that “Stories are vetted not by editors but by politicians in suits.”
Public Broadcaster or Political Megaphone?
For many Liberians, the Kogar episode is just the latest in a long line of missteps that erode public trust in what is supposed to be their broadcaster. The LBS, funded by taxpayers, is legally mandated to inform, educate, and entertain in the public interest. But too often, critics say, it functions as a communications tool for those in power.
“The average Liberian believes LBS is the government’s radio, not the people’s,” said Esther Dolopei, executive director of the Center for Media Integrity. She added, “That perception will persist until the station’s structure is reformed to guarantee independence — not just in words but in governance and funding.”
Despite these criticisms, Senator Kogar took a conciliatory tone after receiving the apology, calling LBS’s admission of fault “a demonstration of institutional accountability.” He praised the decision to sanction the staff responsible and urged continued reform to “protect the credibility of the media.”
But observers say such apologies, while welcome, cannot substitute for lasting structural change that is required to present a true independent state broadcaster.
A Call for a Truly Independent National Broadcaster
The incident has revived discussions about transforming the Liberia Broadcasting System-ELBC radio into a true public broadcaster — independent of political control, governed by a nonpartisan board, and protected by law from government interference.
“Liberia cannot build a credible democracy on state-controlled media,” said Cletus W. Tamba, a media rights advocate. “We need a people’s broadcaster, not a president’s broadcaster.”
Until that happens, critics warn, the LBS may continue to oscillate between apology and propaganda — a cycle that undermines not only journalism but democracy itself.
Fahgon as DG Exposes Boakai’s disinterest in rebranding LBS
For many, President Joseph Boakai’s placement of Eugene Fahngon as LBS Director General shows the he has no intention to change the narrative of political patronage in public media management. Fahgon, a non-media trained fellow who took the airwaves and social media to campaign for Boakai after he was axed by former President Weah out of government as the then Deputy Minister for Public Affairs, could not be awarded through any other means but to provide the day to day administrative and policy control leadership at LBS.
As he leads LBS amid public discontent, Fahgon continues to take on social media, doing podcasts in which he targets political opponents instead of focusing on doing the job of a media manager.
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