PEACE TIME MEDIA INTERVENTION

Mass media has been used over the years for the propagation and promotion of war. However, there have been positive instances where the media has played a vital role in promoting peace.

STAR RADIO (1997-2000) 
Building on the experience of Radio Agatashya, the Fondation Hirondelle created a peace and reconciliation radio for Liberia. Star Radio went on the air on 15 July 1997, shortly before the first democratic elections were held. It shared the facilities with Radio Monrovia.

Radio Monrovia used the frequency 104 MHz for much of the day, while Star Radio provided three hours of programmes in the morning and in the evening. In addition to English, Liberian English and French news reports were prepared and broadcast in fourteen local languages. The news bulletins were also made available throughout the world on the internet. The time sharing agreement was to become a point of controversy as was the internet service. 

The FM service covered about 40 percent of Liberia´s population. From 16 September 1997 to October 1998, Star also broadcast on short wave to achieve nationwide coverage and also reach Liberian refugees in neighbouring countries. Star Radio's short wave broadcasts were on the air six hours per day, at the originally scheduled times in the morning and evening. At times, they were also audible in Europe. 

Although the station was started and funded with foreign help, the station had an almost completely Liberian staff. Beginning in January 1999, the management and running of the station was handed over to Star Radio's Liberian board of directors. It was planned that the station would become self-supporting in 2004 with local and international funding sources. Regular donors of the station were the development agencies of the United States, Sweden and the Netherlands. 

Throughout its existence, Star Radio was subject to government pressure. On 7 January 1998, it closed Star Radio citing illegal use of frequencies as reason although Star Radio and Radio Monrovia had a time sharing contract. After pressure from foreign governments, Star Radio was able to regain the air waves. In October 1998, the Liberian government withdrew the short wave licenses of Star Radio and Roman Catholic Radio Veritas. Nonetheless, based on a 1999 survey, there were approximately 400,000 people listening to Star Radio FM because of its independent reporting. On 15 March 2000, the government closed down both Star Radio and Radio Veritas. President Taylor cited "outside influence" and "outside money" as reasons and attacked Star Radio´s internet news service as being biased against Liberian interests. It is said that Taylor was not only dissatisfied with the existence of independent media but even more dissatisfied with the poor performance of his own media in the ratings. In protest three independent newspapers and independent radio station DC 101.1 suspended operations for a day on 20 March 2000. While Radio Veritas was able to return to the air, in statements heard on Taylor's short wave service, Radio Liberia International, he re-iterated his commitment to keep Star Radio closed.

TALKING DRUM STUDIO, LIBERIA

In 1997, Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in Liberia, in association with European Centre for Common Ground (EEG) and Common Ground Productions (CGP), opened a radio production facility in Monrovia, Liberia. Initially focused on election education and polling procedures, Talking Drum Studio - Liberia (TDS-L) produces original programming in an effort to help reduce conflict in West Africa. TDS-L aims to reduce political and ethnic violence - stressing themes of peace, reconciliation, and democratisation. The Community Services Unit, a community outreach programme working in partnership with the studio, works on the local level.

Communication Strategies: Programming includes a regular 1/2-hour news programme, roundtable forums, and dramatisations that are also performed as street theatre. Broadcast materials receive more than 30 hours per week of airplay on 17 Liberian and international radio stations. The BBC plays TDS news features on its Africa Service programme, Network Africa. Staff associated with the Community Services Unit recognise problems on the local level and intervene with a variety of tools, ranging from mediation to training to soccer tournaments. In 2000, SFCG opened a second Talking Drum Studio, in Sierra Leone.

One area of particular focus is children's programming. Liberian children produce Golden Kids News and Children's World for children; adult TDS-L staff serve as trainers and mentors.

TDS-L also promotes AIDS prevention in Liberia and then mentors TDS-SL to do the same in Sierra Leone. After staff attended trainings in Washington, DC (United States), TDS-L teamed up with the National AIDS Control Program to design a campaign that has, to date, included billboards with HIV/AIDS messages in three locations in Monrovia and nine public service announcements. The Community Services Unit staff distributed t-shirts and over 6,000 condoms at various events.

Finally, TDS-L inspired local broadcasters and newspapers in Liberia to form Media Against Conflict (MAC), a collaborative project to use the media to help resolve conflicts and address challenging national issues.

Talking Drum Studio aims to reduce political and ethnic violence, stressing themes of peace, reconciliation, and democratisation. Radio is used to promote dialogue among polarised groups. One way this is achieved is by ensuring that the production facility employs journalists of different ethnic backgrounds. According to its founder, CGP, TDS-L has a 90% listenership among Liberians.

In 2001, the Independent News newspaper recognised TDS-L's contribution to building peace in Liberia by awarding the programme its "Media Institution of the Year" honour.

VOICE OF HOPE

Radio Voice of Hope went on air in Sudan in November 2000. Programmes were researched and put together in East Africa, in combination with several religious and humanitarian organisations. Approximately 2000 radio sets were distributed among churches ad tribal leaders in the refugee camps to receive the programmes.

The Sudanese Government saw the service as a backing to the SPLA - rebels and in October 2004 the name was changed to Radio Nile. As the programmes were still using material prepared before the name change, both the old and new names were used for some time. In the summer of 2006, Radio Nile was forced to close down on account of financial difficulties.