Supporting Regional Rural Networks

Liberia Community Radio YFM Ganta

By strengthening radio networks and providing training to enhance production capabilities, SFCG seeks to expand the amount of public information available on important governance process and engage radio personnel and civil society in these areas on these processes.  SFCG supports its radio partners and the Liberian media sector more generally through research, technical support and practical experiences.   

Through comprehensive trainings, SFCG strengthens the productions skills of rural radio station staff in journalism, with particular focus on interview techniques, packaging and scripting.  Importantly, these trainings focus on empowering radio station personnel to develop and promote communication that links the government and the governed as a way of managing expectations encouraging citizens to become more aware of their roles and responsibilities within the governance and democratic process.  Station staff are encouraged to identify local, emerging civil society groups in the forms of community associations and other livelihood-based groups like the Bike Riders Association for engagement and participation in programming.

liberia community radio in Saniquellie Nimba County

Beyond simply building community radio station staff capacity, these skills trainings are also aimed at creating platforms for government to receive feedback on how people are participating in and accessing its development and democracy programs. This feedback will help both to build confidence and trust in government and to call government’s attention to areas that need improvement.
To provide practical experiences for the radio station staff, SFCG works with them to produce segments for the radio program TDS Up Country. These segments provide the journalists and producers with experience in covering a range of issues, from NGO projects to health/sanitation to women’s rights to education.  SFCG and community radio stations also co-host live radio discussion programs, engaging county authorities, legislators, and civil society representatives in a dialogue on key issues, such as accountability, expectations, democracy and governance.