New Narratives, a non-governmental organization that has been driving improvement in Liberia’s media sector for 9 years, is excited to announce a major new reporting project in Liberia and Sierra Leone – The West Africa Justice Reporting Project.
WAJRP is running from 2018-2020 and will feature training, mentoring and capacity building for Liberian journalists and news organizations. A small number of Liberian journalists will be sent overseas to cover trials of accused war criminals in the diaspora. The training workshop will take place Thursday September 5th, Friday September 6th, and Saturday September 7th and all participants will be expected to take part.
The project will focus on a range of justice issues including the international trials taking place around the world, the push for a war and economic crimes court in the country, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and the quest for justice for many victims of violence and corruption in the years following the war. We will also consider treatment of the accused and whether they are receiving fair treatment under the judicial system. We will look at justice, detention and law enforcement reforms.
Call for applications
Journalists working in Liberia are invited to apply to the Justice Reporting Project. (Applicants from Sierra Leone will be invited at a later date.) Journalists taking part in the scheme will learn how to produce accurate, impartial and independent coverage of justice issues. Grants will be available within the project to help journalists cover stories.
The scheme is a major commitment – but it will also be a rewarding one.
We are looking for journalists who:
- Report for a national media outlet in Liberia – print, online, radio or television journalists are eligible
- Have at least 3 years of professional experience as a journalist
- Are motivated to cover justice issues and how they impact other aspects of life in Liberia in a fair and balanced manner with a view to increasing the honest information available to Liberians.
- Have the support of their media house ownership to participate in the project.
Please note: journalists taking part in the program must report on justice issues in an independent manner and must not take payment from any sources in the course of their reporting. The project will not tolerate the acceptance of such payment. Participants will be required to sign an agreement to this effect.
Application process
To apply send a cover letter detailing why you want to take part in this scheme, as well as a CV and two writing samples or links to online work to [email protected].
For any questions please contact Tecee Boley, NNLiberia Executive Director, [email protected]
Deadline: August 23, 2019
About New Narratives
New Narratives provides resources, editorial and business support to help leading African media houses deliver independent, honest news that Africans use to drive change. Working in Liberia since 2010, New Narratives reporters have repeatedly broken stories that have prompted action on major societal issues such as teen prostitution, child labor and the growing drug trade. Reporting has won major national and international awards and appeared in media around the world.