Youth Media Action Stands To Create The Platform To Empower Young Journalists
By Alfred Kollie, alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
The Youth Media Action (YMA) has launched for the first time a Youth Journalism Manual in Liberia to be used by would-be journalists, especially high school journalists across Liberia.
YMA is working with high schools through their press clubs to train and empower them to have their stories in the media and build their capacity as a result of the capacity gap and brain drain of young people who seeks journalism as a career, YMA stands to create the platform to empower them before college.
This group also intends to address the complex issues affecting young people by providing an enabling environment where they share their stories for positive change.
The Youth Journalism Manual was produced by a group of the best journalists and media actors in Liberia and intended to fill all gaps in journalism and provide a comprehensive training program that can be used by both trainees and trainers in high school. And it is intended to also build the capacity of high school journalists through various press clubs.
Since 2016, Youth Media Action and its partners have worked to build the capacity of high school journalists by providing them with a firm practical grounding in journalism through training opportunities and media exposure intended to inspire media reform.
Youth Media Action currently runs four programs including National Press Club Exhibition, Child Broadcasting, Vacation Journalism School, and High School Special programs respectively in ten countries.
But speaking at the launch of the manual Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at a local hotel in Monrovia, YMA’s Executive Director, Varmah Kamara noted that the issue of brain drain, capacity gap, lack of creativity, and specialization among others are factors that prompted his actions for the program.
“Without a doubt, one of the fundamental challenges media development faces is low professional journalistic standards due to poor media education foundation or lack of early journalism and practice, so high school journalism has got an important role to play in addressing these challenges,” he said.
Mr. Kamara noted that the Manual uses participatory instructional techniques based on learning objectives and activities, which also serve as a resource material for club reporters and college-level journalism students.
The head of YMA observed that one of the fundamental challenges media development faces is low professional journalistic standards due to poor media education foundation or lack of early journalism and practice.
The Manual uses participatory instructional techniques based on learning objectives and activities, which also serve as a resource material for club reporters and college-level journalism students.
For her part, Internews Chief of Party Madam Lien Bach called on high school journalists to go through the manual and be able to become great and be on top of their dreams.
Madam Bach however congratulated Youth Media Action for the great work they continue to do in promoting young or would-be journalists through their programs.
Press Union of Liberia (PUL) Vice President, Daniel Nyakonah encouraged Liberian professionals not to give up on Liberia but urged them to continue creating innovative ways that will positively contribute to every sector in the country.
According to him, there is no better time than now to pay key attention to young people practicing careers like journalism at the early stage and help prepare them for the future.
Mr. Nyakonah thanked YMA for the great innovation of producing the Youth Journalism Manual for high school journalists across Liberia.
He explained that it is very essential for high school students who have the passion of becoming professional journalists to begin their career at the early level through programs that impact their lives.
The PUL Vice President also observed that journalism is low due to windows created naming lack of reading, writing, and pronunciation by journalists; something he said is greatly affecting the media.
He however, promised to work with the YMA in helping to transform and better prepare high school students wanting to become professional Journalists.