Meet Liberia's Newest Bloggers
Last October nine Liberian journalists learned how to blog at a workshop at the American Embassy in Monrovia. Thanks to the support of the Center for Democracy and Development at UMass Boston, I am now back in Monrovia with Kathleen Flynn and Ken Harper to help facilitate more blogging workshops. The above video introduces some of Liberia's most recent journalists and students of journalism to try their hands at blogging.
Denna Gibson writing her blog post
Varney Karneh wrote about the recent International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security and how it will benefit teenage girls. Emmanuel Tobey, a photojournalist for the United Nations, plans on using his blog to show off photographs of Liberia's natural beauty. Saturday H. Seke featured a literacy training workshop put on by local NGO ALFALIT INTERN. Denna Gibson lamentes the lack of opportunities and respect given to female athletes in Liberia. Aremita believes that illiteracy and teenage pregnancy are two of the greatest obstacles standing in the way of Liberia's development. Moses B. Togbah thinks that bad roads are also a major impediment. Finally, Laurina Honore, a journalist for Sky FM radio, describes her experience at the workshop:
I MIGHT HAVE MORE BLOGS WITH IN TIME TO COME. RIGHT NOW I’M STUDYING MASS COMMUNICATION AND POLITICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA. I AM ALSO A BROADCAST JOURNALIST AT SKY 107 FM IN MONROVIA. I MIGHT DO ALLOT OF THINGS IN TIME TO COME. I LOVE MUSIC WHICH IS MY INSPIRATION, SO I WILL GET ALLOT DEEPER INTO THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD. IF I DON’T GET THROUGH I WILL WORK IN MY GOVERNMENT AS AN IMPORTANT FIGURE, THAT’S WHY I AM GOIN TO SCHOOL. BUT I FEEL LIKE A CELEBRITY CUZ THA’S HOW I AM REFER TO. MY BEEN ON THE RADIO HAS MADE ME INTO A POPULAR FIGURE AND I HAVE SO MANY FANS. I FEEL GOOD EVERYDAY. I AM BLESS, I’M GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR MY LIFE.
Make sure to add their blogs to your RSS reader and to leave some encouraging comments.
11 comments
Excellent idea David to organize that workshop for journalism students in Liberia. I visited some of the blogs of the students and left a message at Denna’s place. I do hope that all of the new Liberian blog authors keep at it for many years because over time they will not only hone their writing skills as journalists, they will also make new friends the world over.
I also visited your personal blog (via a comment link) and am very, very envious of your one-day visit to Robertsport. Time.com ran a story on the place a few years ago ‘Tell Charles Taylor We’re Surfing’ and some students from Stanford University produced a documentary film about the beautiful coastal town. I’ve been fascinated with the place ever since and hope that someday Robertsport will reach its potential to be one of the most beautiful seaside (eco)-tourist areas in West Africa.
I heard about this program from a friend. I think this is a great step for African journalists to know that they don’t have to senior for them to ahve space to air their views on their communities beyong just normal reporting. This is even more important in African countries where media freedom is limited. I am a Ugandan journalist and blogger and I find my blog is like my own voice.
Hi Bill,
I hope that you keep visiting their blogs and leaving comments. Denna, especially, seems like she’ll be one fantastic sports blogger.
Rosebell,
In all of our workshops here I used your blog as an example of how a successful journalist can effectively use blogging to get more stories and make a name for oneself internationally. Congratulations on your much-deserved Waxal award.
L.I.B. is a movement, that can’t be stopped and wont be stopped!!