Liberia Journalists Stop Illegal Mining, Protect Forests

When a community forest officer appeared on a radio show in rural Liberia this February, something unexpected happened within days. Community members arrested illegal cocoa farmers destroying their forest and turned them over to authorities.

That radio appearance was part of Liberia Forest Media Watch, a journalism initiative proving that independent reporting can create immediate, measurable change. Over nine months, their investigations led to dozens of arrests, policy reforms, and hundreds of thousands of dollars returned to communities whose forests were being exploited.

The results are striking. After reporters exposed illegal cross-border forest encroachment, the Forestry Development Authority formed a special taskforce that arrested dozens of migrants farming illegally in Grand Gedeh County. When journalists documented illegal mining operations, the Ministry of Mines and Energy shut down two mining companies and arrested operators across multiple counties.

Perhaps most impressive: the government revoked a 500-acre land lease illegally granted to a foreign investor for 30 years. That reversal came directly after LFMW reporters visited Grand Gedeh and published five investigative articles exposing the deal.

The forum last weekend in Paynesville brought journalists, civil society groups, and development partners together to review these outcomes. "These are not abstract outcomes," said Paul Kanneh, who leads the media watch team. "They are direct responses to evidence-based reporting and community voices amplified through the media."

Financial accountability improved too. In March, Liberia's government disbursed $685,101 in land rental fees to forest communities, representing 92 percent of funds appropriated. The payment followed sustained transparency advocacy on the watchdog's flagship Forest Hour Radio Show.

By July, logging revenues started flowing directly into community accounts, bypassing the delays that previously left rural areas waiting months or years for payments. A community representative explained on air that the new system "makes it easier for communities to access what rightfully belongs to them."

The Ripple Effect

The journalism project is transforming more than forest governance. It's building a new generation of rural reporters whose work now appears in international publications including Mongabay and Forest Trends.

Women journalists are rising through the ranks. Joy Mardea Moore, who co-hosts Forest Hour, has become a national example of excellence and inspiration for female reporters. Rural journalists who once struggled for recognition now produce investigations that spark policy changes and attract global attention.

The Armed Forces of Liberia even launched Operation True Guardian to protect natural resources, an initiative announced on the very radio show that's been exposing environmental crimes. Police in Grand Kru established a specialized taskforce to combat illegal mining after reports exposed damage from floating dredges.

One reporter reflected on the demanding nature of the work: "This is what a real investigative story looks like. It consumes time and energy, and it is worth it."

With support from the European Union through the French Development Agency, the journalism team is becoming a sustainable, independent institution with internal policies on gender, staffing, and finance, plus partnerships with groups like Global Witness to investigate cocoa-driven deforestation.

Communities are seeing that their voices matter, criminals are facing consequences, and journalism is proving it can protect both forests and the people who depend on them.