Paynesville, Liberia – The Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) has strengthened efforts to improve sports journalism in the country by training and certifying 15 journalists in essential professional reporting skills.
The participants received their certificates after completing a one-day capacity-building program conducted at the Liberia Football Association (LFA) headquarters in Congo Town. The exercise was organized through a partnership between SWAL and the LFA, with emphasis on scriptwriting and photojournalism.
Addressing participants, Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) Deputy Director and Training Coordinator Hassan Kiawu underscored the need for regular training to enhance journalists’ professional competence and improve the standard of media coverage.
He noted that providing sports reporters with practical knowledge and technical skills would contribute to more accurate, balanced and professional reporting.
Kiawu also urged the trained journalists to put their newly acquired skills into practice, particularly during the forthcoming National County Sports Meet, which he identified as an important platform for demonstrating their professional development.
For his part, SWAL President Varmah Kamara said the training demonstrates the association’s determination to strengthen the capacity of sports journalists and address existing professional development challenges within the sector.
Kamara disclosed that the program forms part of activities commemorating SWAL’s 40th anniversary. He emphasized that the association intends to use the anniversary not only to celebrate its achievements but also to create opportunities that will advance the future of sports journalism in Liberia.
He further stressed that investing in journalists’ professional skills is necessary to encourage responsible reporting, improve sports coverage and support the development of the country’s sporting industry.
Meanwhile, LFA Deputy Secretary-General Ebenezer Stanley Konah praised SWAL for taking the initiative, describing the training as an important step toward improving the quality of sports reporting.
Konah encouraged the association and its partners to organize similar programs in other parts of Liberia, arguing that extending such opportunities beyond Monrovia would allow more sports journalists to benefit from professional training.
He said expanding access to capacity-building initiatives would help journalists acquire practical reporting skills while contributing to stronger media coverage and the broader growth of sports across the country.
The initiative highlights SWAL’s continued focus on professional training and development as it marks four decades of promoting sports journalism in Liberia.
