Monrovia, August 13, 2008: The Liberia Media Center (LMC) and the Knights International Journalism Fellowship of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) today commenced a three-day training program for Liberian journalists on “Reporting on Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).”

Photo: Norris Tweah, Chief of Office staff and Special Assistant to the Minister of Information(Standing)

Speaking at the launch of the program, Norris Tweah, Chief of Office staff and Special Assistant to the Minister of Information commended the organizers and emphasized the need for the media to understand the pillars of the PRS, noting that, this way the media can fully monitor the outcome of the PRS.

He said, the government is now in the implementation stage of the PRS and called on all Liberians to avoid the adaptation what he termed partisan posture towards PRS implementation, adding that all Liberians should create a nationalistic concept toward the process.

The President of the Press Union of Liberia, Mr. George Barpeen for his part, termed the information dissemination process surrounding the PRS as not being people focus. Mr. Barpeen stressed the lack of knowledge of the PRS process among people in the interior parts of the country as acute.

The Officer-in-Charge of the LMC, Mr. Lamii Kpargoi told the over two dozen participants that it is the role of the country’s media community to provide guidance to the PRS process, since it provides the best opportunity for escaping the country’s population from their state of ingrained poverty.

Mr. Kpargoi said reporters and the media must make it their business to familiarize themselves with the PRS document and make the reporting of progress or lack of progress of the PRS process an issue of focus in the country.

During the 3-day training program, participants are to listen to presentations from exprets from government and non-governmental circles on the four pillars of the PRS on National Defense, Governance and Rule of Law, Economic Revitalization, and Infrastructure and Basic Services.