Published: October 30, 2026
BEIJING — Liberian journalists have completed a 14-day seminar in China, hosted by the training arm of the country’s state broadcasting regulator. The head of their delegation told participants at the closing ceremony that the program’s value would be measured by what they do in Liberian newsrooms.
“And let us be clear: the real test begins when we return home,” said Bai S. G. Best, leader of the Liberian media delegation.
Best urged journalists to practice constructive journalism, which he described as reporting that identifies problems while helping society understand them and explore solutions. He said journalists should keep asking difficult questions and ensure the voices of less-heard communities are not lost. He warned that efforts to change newsroom practices could face skepticism and resistance.
“To my fellow Liberian journalists, you are that leaf,” he said, closing with a Liberian proverb: “If I plant you, will you grow?”
The seminar was hosted by the Research and Training Institute of China’s National Radio and Television Administration. It covered international communication, cultural exchange, media convergence, innovation and combating fake news. Speakers came from the administration, China Media Group, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Communication University of China and China Foreign Affairs University.
The Liberian Investigator’s legislative reporter, Gibson Gee, joined the program and served as one of the delegation’s group captains.
The journalists spent a week in Anji County, Zhejiang Province, visiting Yucun Village, a center promoting bamboo as a substitute for plastic; a white tea cultural and creative complex; the county’s governance center; and a public creative platform. The visits were intended to show how communities integrate environmental protection, economic activity, culture and communication into local development.
Liu Linhai, the institute’s vice president, called the seminar “an important opportunity for in-depth exchanges between China and Liberia in the media sector.”
“I sincerely hope that you will bring back to Liberia not only the philosophy of green development and the valuable experience of using media to empower social development, but also the spirit of vitality and sustainability that we witnessed in Anji,” Liu said.
He said he hoped the program would serve “as a new starting point for strengthening practical cooperation between our two countries in the fields of media and culture,” and encouraged the journalists to help tell stories of cooperation and development between the two countries.
Best said the participants came from different institutions and that some barely knew one another at the start. Over two weeks, he said, the program moved beyond Liberians learning about China to an exchange of perspectives on their professions, cultures and ways of life.
“Institutions may create the opportunities, but it is people who give those opportunities lasting meaning,” he said.
Gabriel Wleh Mills, press attaché at the Liberian Embassy in China, thanked the Chinese government and the organizers.
“We encourage our journalists to take back home the knowledge, skills and experiences gained here and use them to strengthen journalism and contribute to Liberia’s development,” he said.
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