PHOTO: (L-R) Lien Bach, Internews Chief of Party with US diplomats
MONROVIA, Liberia- The Chief of Party for USAID Internews Media Activity in Liberia, Lien Bach has outlined achievements made by her institution in promoting media development over the past years, at the start of another new five-year project, as Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com reports.
The US Embassy this week officially launched the USAID Internews Media Activities which will be carried out in collaboration several local partners.
Madam Bach said Internews has built the capacities of eighteen independent media houses with technical support to expand the local community radio network, developed and implement their business plans to move them towards a path of financial sustainability.
The Internews Chief of party added that they 133 community media forums (CMFs) enabling over 10,000 Liberians across all of Liberia’s fifteen counties to discuss and debate on critical issues affecting their daily lives.
They also provided over 8,600 training days to local journalists and trained 148 young citizens journalists from high school press clubs on journalism and established a sustainable media resource center upcountry that is being used by local journalists and citizens; since its inception over 5,000 people have visited the media resource center in Ganta.
Madam Bach further added that they facilitated the adoption of a new code of ethics for journalists and the establishment of a new and independent self-regulatory body; the National Media Council of Liberia.
Lastly, she said her institution also supported 18 journalists from ten leading media outlets in filing over 112 freedom of information request leading to over one hundred investigative journalists’ stories.
The Internews chief said despite its overall success, it was found at the end of the previous LMD program, that there were still several issues affecting the media in Liberia that require attention and additional support to make the media independent, sustainable and able to publish or broadcast high quality stories that benefit the whole of the country, especially the rural areas.
At the same time, there continues to be a need for the establishment of a legal environment that keeps journalists safe, ensures freedom of access to information and ensures the existence of independent media oversight, she said.
It is necessary to address gender inequality in the Liberian media, as women continue to face numerous social and cultural barriers to fully participate in media and decision making processes and only account for a quarter of the national and local journalists in Liberia.
Narrating further, Miss Bach disclosed that the new USAID Internews Media Activity was developed and eventually awarded to internews and seven local partners.
The seven local partners are PUL, FeJAL, LMDI, Youth Media Action, CEMESP, ALICOR and Talking Drum studio.
According to her, the USAID media activity is a five-year project running from August 2021-August-2026. It is a nationwide program with a focus on marginalized people and underserved areas.
Objectives of the project
The five-year project has four primary objectives and the first is enhancing the capacity of media to produce reliable, relevant and accurate information. To eventually increase the quantity and quality of media personnel and products, they have an extensive capacity department plan that will see the training of journalists and media development organizations.
There will be an emphasis of training and monitoring of women in the media while at the same time providing opportunities for university and high school students to intern with media organizations and learn about journalism and they expand the access to different digital platforms to reach wider audiences adopting the latest technologies.
The second objective is to improve the media’s ability to serve as a conduit for information between citizens and the government.
Thirdly, is to work with community radio stations to eventually improve their long-term organizations and financial sustainability.
The fourth objective of the media activity, they will work with the government and their local partners to further strengthen the legal and operating environment in which a free media can prosperr
Speaking during the launching ceremony, PUL president Charles Coffey said the five-year media activity program will help boost media capacity and the project will also help media practitioners to disseminate accurate and balanced news.
The five-years media activity program will further help to strengthen media institutions but complained that political ownership of media institutions continue to give bad taste to the media.
Lawmakers and PUL on state of press freedom in Liberia
Mr. Coffey lauded the USAID media activity for their commitment in supporting the media from all backgrounds.
For his part, Margibi County District #2 lawmaker and chairman on information and broad cast Ivar Jones said, government relies on the media to disseminate whatever they do and without the media no one will know the work they do.
Representative Jones added that they cannot be the government at the same time be the one disseminating information.
According to him, they have tirelessly in promoting free press and they will always work with their colleagues in promoting free press.
He assured the media community in promoting free press through whatever instruments that will go before them, he lobbied with his colleagues to pass it.
Also speaking was River Gee County Senator, Jonathan Boycharles Sogbie, who Chairs the Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting.
He added that he was standing by work with their colleagues on the creation of the independent media commission instrument coming from the media community for legislation consideration.
Sen. Sogbie said passing this bill will help media houses produce decent news and he looks forward seeing that Bill.
For her part, the acting chairperson of the Liberia telecommunication authority Edwina Crumps Zackpah called on media houses to transition to the five years license.
She said prior to the COVID-19, the LTA was closely working with Internews on FM stations regulation and called on every media houses to transition to the five years licensing in order to avoid embarrassment.
MICAT says gov’t committed to press freedom, commends US
Meanwhile, Mr. Jalawar Tonpo deputy Minister for public Affairs at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism disclosed that government remains committed in protecting journalists and promoting free press without any hindrance.
Mr. Tonpo pledged his commitment to collaborate with Internews and commanded USAID media Activity for such project in strengthening the media community.
Deputy Minister Tonpo said despite government commitment in promoting n protecting free press, media houses should do their job in a responsible way as they go about their duty.
He called on journalists to always be professional and ethical during the discharge of their duty and contrary to that, they should be held liable and called on journalists to make use of the knowledge they acquired from these trainings.
The program attended by media executives and delegates from the US embassy in Monrovia.