Since embarking a year ago on a media-sustainability project as a Knight International Journalism Fellow in Liberia, I have worked with managers at three newspapers and three radio stations to help them succeed not only as news organizations but also as businesses.
The Liberia media industry is extremely volatile, with radio stations, in particular, shutting down from time to time for lack of income.
Liberia is taking steps towards greater press freedom through media sustainability, according to Knight International Journalism Fellow Luisa Handem Piette. Recent improvements in legislation encourage free reporting, but bolstering media sustainability remains pivotal. Piette, with support from UNESCO and ICFJ, brings together media owners and journalists in monthly exchanges to formulate plans for increased private investment in Liberian media, with promising results.
