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RESOLVING TECHNICAL AND PRODUCTION CHALLENGES FOR IRN STATIONS ACROSS SIERRA LEONE

FINAL REPORT FOR THE INDEPENDENT RADIO NETWORK & SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND

August 2012
Elizabeth McSheffrey Intern, Independent Radio Network 159 Circular Road Freetown, Sierra Leone +232 076 202 676

2 INTRODUCTION Since its foundation in 2002, the Independent Radio Network (IRN) has played a lead role in strengthening civic education and democracy in Sierra Leone. IRNs commitment to accurate, transparent information has earned it a nation-wide audience and a reputation as one of Sierra Leones most trusted media sources. It broadcasts trustworthy, impartial news to communities across the country and features focused programming on political events and contemporary issues. This coverage becomes increasingly important as the countrys Parliamentary and Presidential election approaches. IRN recognizes that voter education is paramount in promoting an active citizenry that includes marginalized groups such as women, youth, the poor and disabled. Unfortunately, this responsibility becomes more challenging in the tense media atmosphere preceding the vote. As demonstrated by the July 19 attack on Radio Gbafth in Mile 91, elections tend to bring an increase in violence and political intimidation towards journalists. IRN refuses to condone aggression of any kind or compromise on the quality and integrity of its work. As such, it is critical that its stations and journalists be adequately prepared to cope with the pressures of the months to come. For the last six weeks, IRN has worked with Search for Common Ground (SFCG) to determine what kind of support its stations need to deliver objective and reliable election coverage. In order to ensure the best production, a newsroom must have access to the information and resources it requires. As such, the projects specific objectives were to improve the networks capacity by evaluating its stations on the following production challenges: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Technical equipment shortages, transportation, infrastructure, resources, etc. Professional staff commitment, responsibilities, competence, training, scheduling, etc. Cultural inclusion of voices, audience response, community barriers, current issues, etc. Ethical community dissatisfaction, violence, political intimidation, bias, airtime sales, etc. Program-Specific interview and editing technique, content, level of engagement

The project targeted eight stations across the country, each chosen as a representative of its respective province. It also targeted two programs containing election-related content that were broadcast on all SFCG and IRN stations. The projects results were submitted to the IRN National Coordinator and Search for Common Ground and can be found in the body of this report.

3 PROJECT ACTIVITIES 1. Collect feedback from the following IRN station managers: Northern Province a. Foday Dumbuya - Radio Kolenten, Kambia b. Hassan Koroma - Radio Gbafth, Tonkolili a. Sammy Haffner - KISS FM, Bo b. Joseph Momoh - Radio Bontico, Bonthe a. Ahmed Kallon - Eastern Radio, Kenema b. Foday Sajuma - Radio Moa, Kailahun a. Salu Koroma - Radio Tombo, Tombo b. Francis Sowa - Radio Mount Aureol, Freetown

Southern Province

Eastern Province

Western Area

The project interviewed the representatives over a four-week period. Feedback was collected on the technical, professional, ethical and cultural obstacles faced by each radio station as a follow-up to the issues brought up at IRNs General Meeting in Tonkolili on June 29. 2. Evaluate IRN and SFCG election programming: Independent Radio Network Search for Common Ground IRN Election Countdown Atunda Ayenda

IRN Election Countdown is a 45-minute weekly program on election issues that includes script and clips, fillers, in-depth interviews and short skits. Atunda Ayenda is a 15-minute daily Talking Drum Studio soap opera that covers contemporary issues through eyes and lives of well-known characters. The project reviewed these two flagship programs of IRN and SFCG, both of which cover voter education and are aired on all 25 network stations. Random episodes from the last three months were selected for evaluation to identify trends and ensure consistency in the productions strengths and weaknesses.

FINDINGS Outcome 1.1 A complete report and analysis of the technical, ethical, cultural and professional obstacles affecting the representative stations.
Technical Challenges Interviews revealed the majority of technical challenges faced by IRN stations are related to lack of funding and poor infrastructure. Across the board, electricity was the number one concern of station managers none of whom have a reliable source of power. Most operate their newsrooms on a single, low-wattage generator that has left them hanging on the air due to damage or exhaustion. Repairs, new units and spare parts are not in the budget of a small community station and difficult to acquire in rural areas of the country. Seven out of eight managers interviewed admitted to having cut their airtime by a minimum of two hours a day due to generator-related problems. A decrease in airtime has serious implications in a country like Sierra Leone, where the vast majority of people consume their news through the radio. In a country where income, literacy and electricity are low, it is important that radio be able to deliver critical information quickly and reliably. A regional community radio station should be running 24 hours a day, said one manager. Access to news as it happens is an integral part of creating a well-informed public, but can only be achieved if a station is equipped for the task. Not only are IRN stations running without reliable power, but an inadequate supply of digital recorders, vehicles, transmitters, computers and studios. One manager reported a staff of 35 members sharing one motorbike, while other managers said they had fewer than five recorders for their entire team of journalists. Eastern Radio (Kenema) has no editing facilities and splits its equipment between two studios. These shortages prevent IRN from achieving its goal of full, fair and dependable election coverage. The use of old, patched-up equipment contributes to poor sound quality and slow production. Lack of transportation means hard-to-reach stories and voices get left out of the programs. The sharing of material and information becomes difficult and communication between network members decreases. Programs are not transported from station to station on time for airing, leading to an inconsistent broadcasting schedule. Special attention should be paid to stations in Kailahun, where poor roads and mountainous terrain impede travel, and the studios are far from the townships. Professional Challenges In addition to facing a number of technical obstacles, IRN is challenged at the professional level. Seven of eight managers reported wavering levels of commitment levels their journalists, most of whom are unpaid volunteers. The reporters complain that a modest stipend is insufficient incentive for their time and provides little motivation to produce quality product on tight deadlines.

5 On the other hand, salaried employees were commended by their managers for their superior reporting and ability to work overtime as needed. Lack of commitment from regular staff has serious consequences for IRN the first of which is a decreased caliber of programming, delivered at inconsistent time slots. This compromises the integrity of the entire network, which is committed to the highest level of integrity and professionalism. The second consequence is a high staff turnover rate an issue brought up by Eastern Radio and Radio Tombo specifically. There is no reason for reporters to stay at a station where they cannot earn a living, so many look elsewhere for work. A high turnover rate forces stations to bring new or untrained journalists to the newsroom on a more frequent basis, which once again brings changes to the consistency, personality and quality of the program. Though it is clear these issues are related to funding, station managers have a responsibility to keep their journalists on track. The project revealed that in recent months, a number of managers have been letting missed deadlines or poorly-crafted stories slide. We dont blame them, said one manager. They are on stipend only, so we are not so hard on them. While a managers sympathy is important to creating a cohesive newsroom, compromising on the values of good journalism sets a poor example for reporters, and a dangerous precent for the future. IRN also employs a number of interns and students to run its programs. This promotes inclusion and skill development for young people, but also makes its stations dependent on the availability of busy volunteers. Radio Mount Aureol (who relies heavily on student reporters) expressed particular concern in this area, as production becomes more difficult around exam time. The station has also recieved audience complaints that the quality of their interns work is not up to par with that of a seasoned reporter. They have high expectations for IRN programming and on occasion, students who learn on the job are unable to meet them. All eight station managers therefore requested training for their reporters. Some asked for training related to election coverage, others asked for a review of basic journalism skills, and some wanted training on how to report better in English. Reporter competence is of the utmost importance, especially during elections. Cultural Challenges The assessment revealed that IRN stations seem to be handling the cultural challenges of journalism relatively well. Every station manager interviewed reported success in airing a variety of programs that include marginalized groups such as women, youth and the rural community. Many of these programs are produced and generated by the group members themselves, which not only builds employable skills, but ensures that local voices are heard. Managers whose stations are in isolated areas however, expressed some difficulty in getting community participants to and from their stations to speak on the air. Though issues related to disability are sometimes covered under the categories of human rights, youth inclusion or education, only one radio station reported a program exclusively

6 dedicated to the disabled community. Part of IRNs mandate is to provide a platform for the people to participate in political discourse, and it is especially important during the election that the voices of the disabled are not forgotten. Other important topics such as health, education, governance and human rights appear to receive regular coverage, but not in every local language. Managers report their audiences as satisified, loyal and energetic participants in the stations programming, based on the feedback they have recieved through phone calls and text messages. Praise is centred around the inclusion of voices, community coverage, standard of excellence and program style. While this is encouraging, it is not necessarily representative of a stations actual audience. It is a very select group indeed that is able to call or text the station to share its views a group with expendable income, access to technology and living in an area that receives a good network connection. IRNs programs reach far and wide and it is important that the network have a method for interacting with communities who may not have access to the amenities required to give their feedback. Breaking community barriers was also listed by managers as a cultural challenge. Radio Tombo, for example, reported that in small communities with few representatives, the masses support the radio station while their leaders challenge it. As a result, some sources feel they have been unfairly targeted by journalists and refuse to open-up, leading the community members to stop listening. The managers were therefore asked about issues they felt their broadcasts werent covering, what they would include in a brand new program, and how they could resolve the cultural challenges they face as a radio station. They came up with a number of interesting ideas for consideration by the IRN Management Committee: 1) An interface program that connects journalists with the community. Audience members would be able make reporters accountable on the air and ask questions about programs, reports or other IRN activities. This would help the community learn more about the role of a journalist and the networks operation, so they can better interpret and understand the information they hear on-air. 2) A political program that examines the intent of people who want to go into politics. It would talk about what these individuals want for the community, their dreams and aspirations. It would be a political program that doesnt actually involve political parties; that examines political issues without the complication of politics. The managers named funding and limited resources as the reason they have not been able to bring these programs to life. Ethical Challenges The tension of the election period poses a variety of threats to the integrity of IRN stations through violence, political intimidation, reporter bias or slanted airtime allocation. It appears as though the stations interviewed are dealing with these challenges extremely well and refusing to

7 negotiate their values as members of IRN. One manager summarized his stations experience quite succinctly: We are objective and neutral. We have rigid policies. We dont have the resources, but we have the credibility. We dont compromise. We dont take favours. Most managers reported no serious compromising incidents during the span of the project. Those that did referred to a Code of Conduct approved by the IRN Ethics Committee. At the June 29 General Meeting in Tonkolili, the issue of selling political airtime was raised as a concern particular to the months before the election, but since then station managers report having resolved the issue. Airtime is distributed to political parties based on the rules of engagement set out by IRN and the IMC, and is moderated according to same rules. A noteworthy event however, was the physical attack on Radio Gbaft in Mile 91 on July 19. After refusing to adhere to the stations rules of engagement, a youth was taken off the air from an election program. He then manhandled the moderator while his friends broke into the studio, vandalized the property and threatened the station with bottles of broken glass. The attack was dealt with swiftly and smoothly according to IRNs principles of zero tolerance for violence and program moderation. Community and media stakeholders met in Mile 91 to reaffirm their commitment against lawlessness and youth violence, a resolution met with overwhelming support from the Tonkolili community. The perpetrators of the attack were caught the following week and are being prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Though station managers reported physical attacks like this one are quite uncommon, most receive a small amount of political or community dissatisfaction with some of the content they publish. Managers appear to have dealt with these complaints in a professional, objective manner by refusing to give in to intimidation and instead, discussing the issues with the complainants. Outcome 2.2 An evaluation of current IRN and SFCG election programs from a technical and journalistic perspective. IRN Election Countdown From a technical perspective, Countdown requires improvement in a number of areas. Sound and tone quality are generally strong, the exception being inconsistent levels of volume between reporters and sources. Often, a sources clip will be much louder than a reporters and will change in intensity throughout the quote. Other occasional editing mistakes include jarring clip cuts, sound blips and distracting background sound where noise removal could have been used. In the episodes evaluated, information on voter education was repetitive and there was a tendency to use sources from the same organizations, who had similar things to say, all on similar topics. The content in a single episode was not diverse enough in to hold an audiences attention for 45 minutes, though the program successfully employed teasers to keep listeners looking forward to upcoming stories.

8 Maintaining audience attention is Countdowns greatest challenge. The program is divided into segments of seven to 10 minutes in length, which is problematic for an audience with a short attention span. Episodes often ran for six minutes or more without a single source quote, which is not only boring for the listener, but gives the impression that the journalist did little actual reporting. When played, quotes often ran for up to seven minutes while sources repeated themselves, answered reporter questions or went off on a tangent. The audience should never have to listen to one person (reporter or source) talk for seven minutes in length except under special circumstances. Part of a journalists job is to extract the best quotes from an interview and complement them with supplementary information. This script-and-clip combination is an effective tool for providing the audience with the facts, and the illustration they need to understand them. Transitions are another area of Countdown that require attention. Throughout the program, intro, exit and segment transitions were jarring to the ear, a bit rushed and poorly faded. Reporters were not always introduced at the beginning of their stories or thanked by the narrator at the end. This interaction is important in not only establishing the start and finish of a piece, but in building the audience-character relationship that makes listeners loyal. Sources also went unintroduced on several occasions, which leaves the audience questioning their credibility. The episodes evaluated also brought up two important ethical issues, the first being the use of reporters in skits/jingles. Even if these interludes are used to promote voter education, a journalist should not be used to promote anything at all. Reporters are not voice actors, they are unbiased and objective disseminators of information. If they are acting in a skit in the same episode they are reporting a story, their role could be confused and IRN journalists could be accused of impartiality. The second issue is related to the audience text-in response section in the middle of the program. Consistently, only positive or neutral listener comments were read by the narrator, which is counterproductive in achieving an open, balanced report. Atunda Ayenda Atunda Ayenda is a strong program both technically and journalistically. Sound quality is excellent, the music is attractive and memorable and the characters are lively and familiar from one episode to the next. The transition from the opening music to the first segment is a bit jarring, and the ending music seems a little rushed, but does not affect the overall quality of the program. *** The projects evaluation uncovered an interesting trend relating to gender and election issues. In both programs, the structure of the content made subtle implications about women, their knowledge and their role in society. For example, in skits about voter education, women asked men for information about the Exhibition process, seeming continually confused and helpless. Women fussed over the appearance of their Voter ID Cards rather than men and women were chosen to talk about issues involving children, while men talked about police corruption and security. This may all be coincidental, but these examples imply a number of things: (1) that women generally know less about certain topics than men; (2) that women are not a source of information for men; (3) that

9 women should be or are more concerned with their appearance than men, and (4) that some issues are exclusively relevant to one sex over the other. Regardless of whether these implications are unintentional or even noticed by the audience, they do little to break down gender barriers between men and women. They do not empower women to seek answers for themselves or encourage men to recognize them as active, knowledgeable citizens. They perpetuate gender stereotypes through by separating mens issues from womens issues, when in fact they are Sierra Leonean issues. Atunda Ayenda is even structured in a way that keeps men together for one part of the program and women together for another. In the episodes reviewed in the project, there was no interaction between them on issues relevant to everyone, regardless of gender. The project does not make recommendations with regards to this trend, but brings it up as an issue the network may wish to consider. RECOMMENDATIONS Outcome 1.2 A set of network-level recommendations to resolve some of IRNs technical, professional, cultural and ethical challenges.

Technical
As the election approaches, the media stakes are increasingly high. The provision of proper equipment to community stations must be a top priority for IRN, not only to deliver its promise of election coverage, but to compete with rival media outlets as well. The quality of IRN programs is suffering from this shortage, which is too high a price in an atmosphere where transparent information is so crucial. This project therefore recommends the following activities: Conduct a member-wide survey to determine station-specific equipment needs. Adopt an equipment ratio policy for radio stations. This would ensure IRN members are operating on an approved minimum equipment supply, based on the size and needs of the radio station (ex: a minimum of one bike and two recorders for every five reporters). If strictly followed, this policy will ensure that no station falls behind due to lack of equipment and increase the accountability of individual journalists. This policy should be based on a discussion with all 25 station managers. The IRN body should decide what the minimum equipment requirements are in order to guarantee the quality and timeliness of the programs they have committed to. Develop an implementation strategy, so that by 2014 (for example), all IRN stations will have met the conditions of the Equipment Ratio Policy. The policy should form the basis for sponsorship proposals, as it paints a clear picture of where the need lies, what the funding will be used for and why IRN considers it necessary.

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Professional
IRN cannot afford to falter in quality and reliability of its broadcasts, especially in the months prior to the election. If the network hopes to play a leading role in voter education, it must deliver the information people need, when they need it. A journalists audience is an unforgiving one and listeners will go elsewhere for their news if IRN is not meeting their demands. The project therefore makes the following recommendations: With the help of sponsors, develop a standard training course for all managers, producers and reporters at IRN. Successful completion of this course must be a conditon of employment with their respective radio station, and of membership to the network. For managers, this course should address the proper management of a newsroom and its staff. It should include ways to motivate them, handle their complaints and deal with cases of noncompliance. For reporters/producers, the course should cover the principles and ethics of good journalism, and teach the reporting and production skills required for the newsroom (including English). Certification workshops should be run semi-annually, to ensure that all new staff complete the course. The IRN Ethics Committee should create two separate contracts of accountability, one for managers and one for reporters. Both should sign this contract on completion of the Standard Training Course. The contracts should outline the responsibilities of a manager and reporter respectively, and the role of all IRN employees in upholding the networks legacy. It will also determine what constitutes a failure to meet these commitments, and the consequences for dealing with such failure. If the stipend of volunteers cannot be increased, IRN should create an incentive program to keep reporters motivated. Some stations have already developed a volunteer rank and benefit system to keep their staff working. The program should recognize both individual reporter and station achievement through special mention in the monthly IRN Newsletter and General Meetings (for example, IRN could develop a Reporter-of-the-Month or Station-of-the-Month award). Small prizes could be awarded to the title recipients to encourage a friendly competition for the best journalism. Station managers would be responsible for motivating their staff and nominating their reporters, while the IRN Management Committee would nominate the stations and vote on the recipients.

Cultural
Though IRN will never be able to include everyones voice or satisfy every audience need, a more thorough inclusion method needs to be developed on both of these fronts. IRN is not just a 11

network of 25 stations, it is a national community that includes the people of Sierra Leone no matter how isolated, marginalized or politically-charged their opinions might be. Elections are an inherently cultural process and IRN should always strive to be a step ahead of other media outlets. This preparation involves building a stronger audience relationship, which is why the project recommends the following activities: Create a program policy requiring all stations to have at least one program dedicated to each marginalized group named by the IRN Management Committee, including the disabled community. The IRN Management Committee should hold an annual submission for new program ideas, open to all member stations. One program should be selected for airing on all 25 stations as a flagship program for the following year. IRN should conduct a sponsor-funded annual audience survey in communities across the nation. Deploying IRN representatives to collect feedback in person will uncover unexpected local issues, determine IRNs national reach and keep the network in sync with its audiences wants and needs, based on a truly representative and diverse range of feedback.

Ethical
IRN has a strong base in ethics that has not faltered in during the projects span. The network is therefore encouraged to continue on its current path and develop its principles as new challenges present themselves. The project therefore makes this recommendation: The IRN Ethics Committee should finalize an updated version of the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement. These versions should include the issues and resolutions outlined by the reports from both the June 29 General Meeting and July 19 Ethics Committee Meeting.

Outcome 2.2 A set of general and program-specific recommendations to improve IRN election coverage in the months to come. IRN is covering the topics relevant to the election effectively, but requires a review of some of the basic principles and techniques of journalism. This will enhance the way it delivers election information and improve the overall quality of its programming. The project therefore proposes these recommendations:

IRN Election Countdown


Gain massage clips to ensure the entire program is at the same db level. Use fades to make transitions easier on the listeners ears. Shorten clips and stories to a length of two or three minutes to maximize audience retention. In a script-and-clip piece, use narration to break up long source quotes. The best quotes are short and to the point. 12

Add another headline teaser half-way through the production, to keep old listeners attention and let newcomers know whats coming up next. For every three neutral or encouraging text message responses, include one critical response. Use the same narrator or program host for every episode. The audience will build a better relationship with your program if it includes characters they know and trust. Always introduce reporters and new sources to make transitions clear and give credibility to interviewees. Have the narrator interact with the reporters in between segments to provide clear transitions. Review interview technique and basic editing as part of the Standard Training Course. Use voice actors rather journalists to participate in skits or jingles.

Atunda Ayenda
Use fades to ease the musical transitions and add a few seconds to the ending jingle. CHALLENGES Material for this project was difficult to collect owing to weak network connections between the hub in Freetown and stations across the country. Poor phone line quality frequently interfered during the interview process, resulting in the need to reschedule or make multiple same-source calls. During the interview process, some station managers were hesitant to provide information on the negative criticism they had received about their programs. The programs chosen for evaluation were in Krio, making it difficult to provide a thorough analysis of content .

CONCLUSION The information obtained through this project reveals the interconnectivity of the technical, professional, ethical and cultural challenges faced by IRNs stations. Addressing one problem will inevitably contribute to the solution of the next as IRN allocates time and funding to obtaining a network-wide standard for conditions of employment, journalistic technique, equipment levels and program content. IRN is half-way through its pre-election coverage and headed in the right direction as polling day approaches. The network has a sound set of values and principles it has adhered to under trying circumstances and will maintain this level of integrity in the months to come. Part of IRNs mandate however, is to deliver the highest possible quality of objective and transparent information to its listeners. This goal can only be achieved with a commitment to make the necessary changes, with recognition that change itself is a slow and gradual process. Putting the wheels in motion early will improve IRNs election coverage and support the mindset that IRN is not just a network of community stations, but a national network of people.

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