21/04/15

Challenges for media development in Liberia

Copyright: Tim Dirven / Panos

By: Lou Del Bello

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<h1>Challenges for media development in Liberia</h1>
<h4>By: Lou Del Bello</h4>
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/201896634&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><em>If you are unable to listen to this audio, please update your browser or <a href="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/201896634/download?client_id=b45b1aa10f1ac2941910a7f0d10f8e28&oauth_token=1-16343-47894121-334d8206d82f348" style="opacity: 1;">click here to download the file</a> [8.3MB]</em></p>
<p>Ken Harper, director of the <a href="http://newhouseglobal.syr.edu/">Newhouse Center for Global Engagement</a> at Syracuse University in the United States, has spent seven years working on media development in Liberia.  <br />
He believes better local <a href="https://www.scidev.net/communication/journalism/">journalism</a> can ease people’s problems on the ground, but can also<a href="https://www.scidev.net/communication/education/"> teach</a> the international media about the stories that really matter to local communities.<br />
 <br />
“Only local media can produce journalism that’s relevant to people: it’s culturally sensitive and understands the local conditions,” Harper says.<br />
 <br />
In this audio interview, he explains his personal journey from the United States to Liberia, where he learnt about its culture, resilience and drive to rebuild a fairer society after the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/environment/disasters/">civil war</a> partly through better, more powerful journalism.</p>

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<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/global/multimedia/journalism-development-liberia-podcast/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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Ken Harper, director of the Newhouse Center for Global Engagement at Syracuse University in the United States, has spent seven years working on media development in Liberia.
He believes better local journalism can ease people’s problems on the ground, but can also teach the international media about the stories that really matter to local communities.

“Only local media can produce journalism that’s relevant to people: it’s culturally sensitive and understands the local conditions,” Harper says.

In this audio interview, he explains his personal journey from the United States to Liberia, where he learnt about its culture, resilience and drive to rebuild a fairer society after the civil war partly through better, more powerful journalism.