A Preliminary Study On The History Of News Communication In Liberia

Liberia is the oldest republic in West Africa.Compared with other African countries,Liberia did not experience the colonial rule of Western powers,and gained independence early and established a democratic republic.However,after 200 years of development,Liberia's political and economic development is not satisfactory.Until the beginning of the 21st century,Liberia was still experiencing a decade-long civil war.Compared with other countries in Africa,Liberia's rule in the hands of immigrants and their descendants in the United States,for a long time in the development process of Liberia has been full of Americo-Liberian and Liberia contradiction and struggle between the native,this paper overall in the special background of Liberia is explore the journalism in general.The unique political background makes the journalism in Liberia different from that in other African countries.For example,for most African countries,newspapers and broadcasting are tools for colonies to seek independence and gain discourse power,but the newspapers in colonial Liberia generally maintained the same position with the colonial government.Whereas most African countries liberalised their economies in the 1990s,allowing newspapers and radio to flourish,Liberia's journalism has long been curtailed by power.The article will also make a beneficial supplement to the development of the whole journalism in Africa by combing the development of the journalism in Liberia.Liberia development generally after the colonial period,the first republic period,the second republic period,and after the civil war,civil war has five stages,by historical analysis method,this article is to Liberia's journalism in the whole history of the Liberia,analysis in different historical stages of development.Different characteristics on the development of journalism and social role through portraying different times journalism to Liberia news career development lag reason were analyzed.Liberia's journalism started from colonial period,the journalism in this period is more like political tool,but as a result of journalists from the United States by education degree is higher,and the government on the development of journalism unrestricted let newspaper editorials often present a higher level.In the first period of the republic of,as the government forces to mainland expansion,urban newspapers began to appear,with the development of party politics,dedicated to serving the election of the low quality of party newspaper,at the same time as the government through the strengthening of foreign investment to social control,government has become the main news providers,and start on the press series of authoritarian control,this a series of measures greatly extrusion independent media of living space.The journalism of the next period of the republic of Liberia is in serious damage to the civil war,economic and political bad news career struggling,until the end of the civil war,a new government issued series of laws to protect freedom of expression,and brings opportunities to the development of journalism,independent media began to perform the function of media supervision,but because of the poor economy and education,lack of professional journalists news bribe events but also happen from time to tome to Liberia news career still's woes.In conclusion,this article will discuss several times under different political and economic historic background of Liberia journalism development,tries to depict the development situation of the nearly 200 news career,and after nearly 200 years development in Liberia are still being national news career development and to reveal the cause of development.