New Narratives is pleased to welcome Aria Deemie to the team as our first dedicate climate, environment and science reporter. Aria’s work is funded by the American Jewish World Service and the Swedish Embassy in Liberia. Aria has hit the ground running with important exposes on the failure of Liberia’s $10 million Green Climate Fund grant that was supposed to deliver a weather warning system that could have warned hundreds of thousands of Liberians of floods and weather hazards. She also revealed the growing threat to Liberia’s biodversity from farmers who are giving up on farming and returning to the forest to cut trees to make charcoal as farms fail.
Aria is an award-winning Liberian journalist, fact-checker, and digital content creator dedicated to telling stories that drive change. With a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and awaiting her Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Stella Maris Polytechnic University, where she has completed her coursework, Aria combines deep community insight with rigorous, ethical reporting.
Previously with Local Voices Liberia, an Internews-backed project, Aria produced fact-checking content, trained journalists and students in media literacy, and hosted the popular radio segment Facts vs. Fiction. Her work spans investigative journalism, radio production, and social media coordination—using every platform to amplify underreported stories and give voice to marginalized communities.
Aria’s outstanding reporting has earned her recognition from the Press Union of Liberia, including Health Reporter of the Year (2021/2022) and Trafficking in Persons Reporter of the Year (2020/2021). Her investigations have shaped national conversations on issues like vaccine hesitancy during COVID-19 and Liberia’s response to human trafficking.
As a published fellow with Africa Check, APBF, and leading Liberian outlets such as FrontPage Africa, Aria has tackled topics ranging from sanitation crises to climate change and the economic hardships affecting education. Beyond journalism, she has led community projects on mask distribution, youth empowerment, and sanitation awareness.
An alum of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, with certifications from Africa Check, ECOWAS, and Internews, Aria remains committed to professional growth and regional collaboration. She brings clarity, compassion, and credibility to every story she tells, believing that journalism can be a force for justice and empowerment.