Knight International Journalism Fellowships
Liberia: Bolstering Coverage of the Courts in Post-Conflict Era
Marquita Smith is a Knight International Journalism Fellow who helped launch the Judicial Reporters Network in Liberia. Smith formed this association and trained its members to cover the country’s fledgling legal system. Inspired by Smith, Ora Garway, a journalist in the association, launched a newspaper called The Punch that focuses on legal reporting. Garway was the country’s first woman managing editor. Smith returned to Liberia in June 2010 to help Garway develop a business plan for the new newspaper and create a website featuring coverage of the justice system. Smith talked with a variety of potential advertisers, including the United Nations. These groups expressed interest in posting job openings and events as a way to financially support the paper.
