Media/Radio outreach: A tool for Advocacy Legislative Advocacy Partners Skill-Building Workshop # 4 “STRENGTHENING VOICES FROM THE SOUTH EAST”

Date: Thursday October 24 – Saturday October 26, 2013 Venue: City Hall | Harper | Maryland

Varney G. Karneh Program Assistant/NDI – Liberia

Objective: To increase skills in the use of communication tools, particularly for advocacy on critical human rights and governance issues such as water, sanitation, and hygiene, natural resources, and women’s empowerment.

What is Media? • Communication channel through which pieces of information are disseminated to the general public.

Why the media? • It helps promote your project specific goals

• Publicizes project objectives by raising the program profile and deliver key messages • Promote best practices and share success stories and inspire others

Media Activities of Advocacy Partners • Multi-media strategy awareness raising citizen (NRM) • Media Campaign (WASH) • Live talk show on local radio (SEWODA)

What are the various media tools? • • • • • •

Television Newspaper Internet Radio Cellphones Town Chief

RADIO!

Why radio? • It Informs, educates, entertains and creates interaction

Community Radio • Educates, sensitizes and informs local audiences about issues that effect their lives: health, education, water, human rights, etc. • Give people a voice and offer a forum for dialogue between communities and government. Community Radio takes up this responsibility and ensures vulnerable groups in society are included and represented in their programming.

Legislative Spotlight • Is a radio program that will serve as a platform for CSOs to discuss their program goals, advocacy campaigns, and their legislative activities

Legislative Spotlight Structure • • • •

Standard English In-Studio Call-In-Talk-Show Simple English Version Language Version Out Door Special Editions/ LMDI Innovation

Legislative Spotlight Structure cond’t • LMDI will produce and broadcast 53 editions (episodes) of the LEGISLATIVE SPOTLIGHT, one hour each, twelve (12) thirty (30) minute editions (episodes) of the simplified or simple English version of the LEGISLATIVE SPOTLIGHT and twelve (12) thirty (30) minute monthly editions (episodes) of local language (Vernacular) call-in programs, in Liberia’s languages, amounting to a total of seventy seven 77 programs for airing during the contract period. • All the 77 radio programs will be aired on 14 rural community radios; one (1) in each of Liberia’s 14 counties, excluding Montserrado where two will be aired.

Freedom Fone • Freedom Fone is a priority voice-based communications platform to interact with offline audiences in any language. Individuals can contribute questions, content and feedback by leaving voice messages via the IVR interface.

• In early 2013, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs turned over a mobigator/Freedom Fone device to Liberia’s 53rd National Legislature

CHEERSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!