MONROVIA: Liberia’s media partners Internews- USAID Media Activity has transferred equipment (desktops, laptops & recorders) to the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) for onward distribution to fellows of its Senior Journalism Students Fellowship. The equipment is provided to facilitate the works of thirty fellows deployed at ten media outlets in Montserrado County.
To make mentorship, monitoring and evaluation easier and efficient, the ten desktops will be assigned at the media outlets where fellows are stationed. Fellows of the PUL, Internews- USAID Media Activity will be assigned a laptop and a digital recorder in a team during the three month life span of their mentorship. Succeeding fellows are expected to also use the equipment for their mentorships.
Internews-Liberia Senior Media Advisor, Jefferson Massah making the presentation of the equipment said the media development organization’s donation is part of a five year USAID- Media Activity supporting media law and policy reforms in addition to improvement of journalism quality in Liberia.
Massah indicated that the equipment provided to the PUL for onward delivery to the mentors and mentees of the Senior Journalism Students Fellowship is meant to enable fellows to gather, prepare and produce quality news stories in the interest of the public.
Receiving the equipment, PUL President, Charles B. Coffey, lauded Internews-USAID Media Activity and stressed that the fellowship is a groundbreaking innovation which could start to solve the lingering problem of distasteful content across the Media in Liberia.
Coffey cautioned the fellows not to feel that they had arrived too early at the very beginning of their professional sojourn so as to avoid crashing out before they even get started like many of their forbears.
The PUL President stressed that discipline is a core value of the journalism profession, noting that only humble persons will acquire necessary skills required for the task at hand.
Speaking on behalf of the mentors, Ecowas Radio’s Raymond Zarbay called on the fellows to remain focused and courageous in their practice of journalism as they as mentors are preparing to put out their best in building their capacity.
The Press Union of Liberia is one of many partners to the Internews- USAID Media Activity which is partnering with the Government of Liberia and other stakeholders to work toward the realization of a number of activities including the improvement of the legal operating environment of the Media in Liberia.
