President George M. Weah on Sunday, January 8, 2023 held a day-long interaction with media executives, which began with a thanksgiving service at the Forkyklon Jlaleh Family Fellowship Church and ended with volleyball and basketball matches.
During the church service, President Weah said during the festive season he met with other segments of the society, but the media was not included; therefore, the gathering was intended to celebrate the New Year with the fourth estate and to expand avenues for the conduct of peaceful elections in October.
“The pending elections will be peaceful. After service, we all are going to Jamaica Resort to play volleyball and basketball. But running and jumping up is different from editing,” the President said in a jovial conversation.
The gathering promoted table tennis, volleyball and basketball. The first game was a volleyballencounter between the Ministry of State and the press, followed by the basketball game, with the President’s side defeating the press in both matches.
Before the games, the President held open discussions with the newsmen, but expressed dismay over the manner in which the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) handled its recent election in Gbarnga, Bong County.
According to President Weah, if the media, which is serving as the watchdog of society, cannot hold a peaceful election, especially in an election year, what moral ground would they have to critic politicians in the conduct of national elections? He urged them settle their differences and protect the integrity of the Press Union.
Members of the Press Union of Liberia, Publishers Association of Liberia and the Editors Forum were all in attendance.