The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) says it will hold a memorial service in honor of all fallen journalists on Sunday, March 16, 2008. The service, according to a statement issued under the signature of Secretary General, Peter Quaqua, is in commemoration of National Decoration Day. 

According to the statement, the service will take place at the First Assembly of God Church on Buchanan street in Monrovia beginning at 11:00 am.

PUL says it is holding the service to celebrate the contributions of the journalists to the growth and development of the media and the Liberian society. It also says it will also use the memorial service to pray for the families and loved ones of the fallen journalists.

While remembering their dead colleagues, journalists will at the same time invoke God’s blessings and protection for media workers in the performance of their duties in the face of natural and other challenges.

The umbrella group for journalists is calling on religious leaders to intercede on their behalf for the Lord to soften the hearts of security personnel and individuals who are in the habit of brutalizing journalists and peaceful citizens to stop this act of terror.

In other developments, the PUL has condemned the continuous use of violence by some Liberians to solve their problems. PUL says the burning of Police stations in parts of the country and the latest arson attack on UNMIL vehicles in Monrovia are not good for the peace Liberia is enjoying today.

PUL says despite massive local and international efforts to dissuade Liberians from studying war, it is sad that some Liberians were still locked up in their violent nature. They reminded those still consumed in their war-like mentality that 14 years of savagery left behind only death and destruction.

CEMESP & Swiss NGO Sign MOU

The Center for Media Studies & Peace Bu  Ailding and the Institute of Applied Media Studies of the Zurich University in Switzerland have jointly embarked on a research project on conflict journalism in Liberia.

The two organizations according to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in Monrovia, on Thursday, gave CEMESP the overall responsibility for supervision and coordination of all activities of the project as well as the financial oversight of the expenses of the project in Liberia.

A release quotes CEMESP‘s Executive Director Malcolm Joseph as saying the research project which will last for twelve months, is being coordinated under the scientific  guidance of the Swiss based group.

Mr. Joseph said the research project will investigate peace & conflict issues in comparison to development issues. The research will subsequently reflect on topics like security sector reform, corruption, conflicts in work and public life, transitional justice inclusive of the Taylor trial in the Hague, the TRC hearings, roads, schools, among others.

The first phase of the project will cover content analysis of the Liberian media,
while the second phase will investigate the audience responses to conflict journalism in Liberia through focus group discussions.

The research will provide data that will later enable CEMESP, IAM and other researchers to make comparison between various conflict ridden countries and thus add to common knowledge. 

CEMESP and the IAM in the last 12 months successfully conducted two research projects in Liberia, on quality of radio news and audience listener-ship with focus groups.