On public service broadcasting...

Public broadcasters encourage access to and participation in all aspects of public life. They develop knowledge, broaden horizons and enable people to better understand themselves by better understanding the world and others.

Public service broadcasting is a meeting place – where all citizens are welcome and considered equals. It is an information and education tool, accessible to all and meant for all, whatever their social or economic status. Public service broadcasting ensures the public’s right to receive a wide diversity of independent and non-partisan information and ideas. Its mandate is to promote information exchanges and cultural development. It can also help to promote a sense of national identity, foster democratic and other important social values and serve the needs of minority and other specialized interest groups. Public broadcasting must also appeal to the imagination, and entertain. And it does so with the utmost concern for quality broadcasting.

The challenge for the public service broadcaster is to place the audience at the centre of its universe. The audience comes first. This includes believing and trusting in the audience. It means engaging with the audience through different programs but also engaging in direct dialogue with them, being close to their minds and hearts, knowing their priorities, helping them understand the decisions that are made and defending their right to information.

There’s no single international standard or set of guidelines when it comes to public service broadcasting but at least six characteristics have emerged over the years.

1. Universality – services are available and accessible to the entire population in terms of content (languages) and technology, be it radio or television.

2. Diversity – offering a broad program range providing a consistent level of technical and editorial quality that’s educational and informative. Diversity in programming ensures that the public has access to information about a wide variety of issues and concerns.

3. Independence from both the State and commercial interests - programming decisions should be made on the basis of professional criteria, news value and the public’s right to know, rather than by pressure from political or commercial interests.

4. Impartiality of programs - Impartiality is closely related to independence. A public service broadcaster does not promote a certain position or support a particular political party. Exceptions to this impartiality guideline are made on important development issues such as health, education, security and democratic principles.

5. Concern for national identity and culture – in part, the role of public service broadcasters is to build a sense of national identity, belonging and participation. All cultures, past and present, tribes and ethnicities should be reflected in the multicultural nature of broadcasting in Sierra Leone.

6. Financed directly by the public – public service broadcasters must maintain their independence and focus on the public interest. Funding must be public and not tied to editorial decisions or political persuasions. Public broadcasters must be open, transparent and accountable.

Public service broadcasters should also be setting standards – offering a higher standard of journalism, production, programming and editorial content, which contributes to media development throughout the community.

There are some clear and succinct ideas, which can be made about public service broadcasting:

• It is for everyone
• It has a cultural value
• It guarantees a fuller choice
• It serves citizens not shareholders
• Its character is reflected in comprehensive schedules, not in individual programs
• It reflects and supports democracy.

Thus, the programming schedules of a public broadcaster must have:

• news, which is independent, comprehensive and authoritative
• a commitment to current affairs and investigative programming
• a range of documentary programs
• drama which reflects the reality of life in the community
• entertainment which also reflects the reality and interests of people
• sport, as an important part of the cultural expression of the people
• programming for children, recognizing their particular needs and concerns
• educational content
• material which reflects the differences of urban and rural life and addresses regional distinctiveness
• acknowledgement of the traditions and beliefs of the audience
• recognition and active reflection of the language traditions among the people

Trying to keep things "public"

S/

Out with the old and in with the new…

The “rescue team” of thirty-five active, young volunteers – men and women – clambered out of the poda-podas (converted mini-vans) sporting white t-shirts reading “Support SLBC” early on Saturday morning (October 16th). Armed with brooms, dustpans, shovels and enthusiasm, their tools were put to good use in SLBC’s first ever “clean-and-tidy”. And, this “big sweep” was long overdue.

Gbanabom Hollowell, SLBC’s Director General, organized a cleaning tour de force with local NGO “Big Brotha/Big Sista” to unload, unpack, route out and sweep, tidy and get-rid-of the years of accumulated junk that has laid dormant for up to thirty years in the hallowed halls, unused store rooms, dilapidated studios and crowded offices of SLBC.

The dust flew. Unused, locked doors were burst open. Dark, dilapidated darkrooms were flooded with light. Years of decay were peeled back… revealing hundreds of broken televisions, fractured freezers, scrapped tech-junk, speakers with missing parts, crates, equipment shells, broken cameras, inoperative mixers, failed wiring and tons of scrap… junk… clutter… garbage… litter and waste!

It’s a new era at SLBC. This clean up will hopefully symbolize a newfound attitude. SLBC will no longer be a depository for waste and stale thinking. It’s time for freshness – in thinking, programming, staffing, journalism and professionalism. Out with the old and in with the new…

“Elvis is in the building…” Welcome Gbanabom!

Gbanabom (Elvis) Hallowell was officially welcomed to the fold at SLBC as the new, permanent, Board approved, presidentially appointed Director General on October 1, 2010. After months of application forms, interviews, “politicking”, review committees and appointment processes, Gbanabom’s presence is a very welcome sign that things are moving forward in the transition of state-owned SLBS to the public broadcaster SLBC. Signs of progress can be few and far between but this giant step is hugely significant.

Gbanabom is a Sierra Leonean with many years experience in the media. He’s a writer, poet, musician, activist, lecturer and political commentator. He’s been around the block, as they say. He’s lead NGOs, social movements, activist organizations and human rights groups. He’s very well known throughout the country and comes from a long line of teachers and commentators.

Gbanabom started his educational career here in Sierra Leone, moved to the U.S. to pursue degrees and masters programs and now he’s a PhD candidate. He’s written at least two books that I know of… and so many newspaper columns I’ve lost count. He’s taught thousands of students and continues to give public lectures on leadership, development and the media in Sierra Leone. He’s politically astute. He’s genuine. He’s smart. And, he’s very well connected.

I should add that Gbanabom is my former boss at JHR-Journalists for Human Rights and I consider him to be a good friend. His new job won’t be easy… and there will be significant challenges. But, I’m very pleased to be working alongside him once again.

Content is king...

Knight Fellowship Blog - Number One

Content is still king...

They (the techie-geeks and widget-wacks) talk about the internet being “in the clouds” but really the words and pictures we put online/out-there are as immoveable as stone. They will last. They will outlive us. People far-and-wide will read them. Societies will be affected by them… and they will make a difference.

From words carved in stone to papyrus scrolls and then to moveable type, words and pictures have travelled and evolved. What remains is the fact that what we – as journalists and now as Knight International Journalism Fellows – produce will bring substantial impact to our respective host countries. Think of cave paintings in South Africa… Think of sacred scrolls from the Nile River area… They still exist! Why, because content is king – what we write or broadcast is the most important piece of this communications evolution. How we disseminate our material is almost immaterial.

In 2010, we can uplink, upload/download, e-send, e-think and transmit faster than the blink of an eye – in some parts of the world. Egypt, Malaysia and possibly Peru come to mind. Sierra Leone, Malawi and Haiti are different stories.

In Sierra Leone, a neighbourhood blackboard listing headlines of the day is one way of transmitting information. Mobile phone calls between family members tell stories of success and sickness. Battery-powered radios are gathering points for political debate. Internet cafés (when they work) are hubs for Diaspora and distant family connections.

The integral element of any communication whether electronic or analogue is what the message contains and the relationship between sender and receiver.

The 2010 Knight International Journalism Fellows, whether via satellite, e-communications, radio waves or newsprint, are bringing the world together – one story at a time. This will make a difference – just as the stone tablet and parchment collections did thousands of years ago.

The passion of politics...

Student elections here at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone (where I teach part-time) have once again turned violent. Two years ago was bad... last year was relatively "okay" but this year it's bad - again.

Last night, at the presentation of candidate manifestos, things were passionate and heated between the "white camp" (supported by the national APC party) and the "black camp" (supported by the national opposition SLPP). Fights were intermixed with dancing, shouting, posturing and promoting.

Today, voting day, things are riotous. Election results haven't been announced but the passion has erupted into violence and riots. Students are on the rampage... and I'm very worried about "my" great group of students who are trapped behind riot police lines and barricades. I have my fingers crossed... and will venture onto the campus in the morning... Good grief - the face of young politics can be ugly.

Politics is everywhere... for good and for bad.
S/

Good news...

I might as well announce it now… It looks like I’ll be staying in Freetown, Sierra Leone for the next year to 18 months as a Knight Fellow – on a journalism fellowship out of the International Center for Journalism in Washington… Yes, very prestigious… and I’m so pleased. I’ll be working with the transition of SLBS (state-owned broadcaster) to SL Broadcasting Corporation – a public broadcaster. I’ll help through the 50th anniversary of Sierra Leone’s independence in 2011 and hopefully through the next general election in 2012. It’s a tremendous opportunity to be involved in a historic, never-before-done project in Africa. Should be “interesting”…

I'd applied to the Knight Fellowship program waaayyyy back in August 2009 and am just now seeing some fruits to that labour or results from that application.

This is from their website…

The Knight International Journalism Fellowships make tangible changes that improve the quality and free flow of news in the public interest around the world. Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation , international media professionals work in countries where there are opportunities to promote reliable, insightful journalism that holds officials accountable. Knight Fellows are establishing new journalism associations, launching journalism schools, creating online databases to track corruption, establishing news delivery services via cell phone and creating digital platforms to share content. With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Knight Fellows are developing a corps of journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa whose work is leading to better public policies and a better quality of life. The program’s Health Journalism Fellowships help media in five countries produce in-depth and investigative coverage of health issues such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. The new Africa Development Journalism Fellows will work with journalists in four countries to give them skills to report on poverty-related issues such as agriculture, rural development, sanitation and microfinance.

Some other background:

I've been in sporadic contact with the Knight Fellowship folks over the intervening months as my work with jhr- journalists for human rights, and on the transition from the state-owned SLBS to a public broadcast corporation has progressed. It's obviously taken many months and hours of work to get the process to this stage - meaning the government of Sierra Leone has passed the Bill to create the broadcasting corporation, a Board of Directors has been nominated (the Chair appointed by the President), some UN consultations and funding proposals created, technical consultations, etc. etc.

We (a whole bunch of folks from the UN, BBC, Fondation Hirondelle, DW in Germany, etc.) finally have a plan, which should be finalized with UN Radio, SLBC, the government, etc. in mid-June. That "plan" will be the basis for the re-structuring and funding proposals which will go to the IMF, World Bank, Peace-Building Fund of the UN, etc.

In this plan, a position of "training director" or "training facilitator" was created... to help coordinate technical, managerial, board, editorial, corporate and public training... everything from classroom programs to teach basic typing skills to mentorship models for journalists in the field. It's a very big and important position in which I'd coordinate trainers, programs, etc. and also do hands-on training. I'd also be developing policies for the corporation around production values, ethical principles, codes of conduct, and so on.

The new broadcasting corporation, with the transition management team, wants someone with independence yet with inside knowledge of the field, the media environment in Sierra Leone, the people, the politics, etc. And, that's where the Knight Fellowship comes in... I'd be able to maintain financial, political and editorial independence because the International Center for Journalism/Knight Foundation would be paying my salary and expenses. The training position would be for a year or more... with the plan to create a sustainable foundation/policies to the training of staff, Board, etc. In other words, I'd be creating the policies and then mentoring someone in the personnel dept. to take on this role.

I'm really looking forward to this work... not just for the prestige of working with the Knight folks but also because I firmly believe in this project. It's huge... going from "state-owned" (think dictatorial USSR or communist china) to public broadcaster - (think CBC and BBC). And, it's "history in the making" - literally. Quite exciting, I’m sure you’d agree.

So, there's lots going on... and huge opportunities afoot.

I'm hoping to pass through Toronto on my way to Washington for an orientation week with the International Center for Journalism but I don't have exact dates or plans yet... They'll come shortly and I'll be in touch.

Wow... this is exciting.
More later,
Stephen