Radio is the most popular source of news in post-conflict Liberia, but stations are struggling. Knight Fellow Luisa Handem Piette is developing business models that will lead to profitability.

Luisa Handem Piette is coaching managers at four independent newspapers and three radio stations in Liberia to become profitable. She started up the Media and Business Exchange (MBS), which brings together Liberian media managers and other members of the business community, including the Liberia Chamber of Commerce. The goal: to help the news media to attract clients and to educate businesses on the value of buying ads in a country where most advertising still comes from the government and NGOs. At the first session in November, more than 37 media and business executives discussed strategies to develop a commercial advertising market.

In the early months of her fellowship, Piette prepared journalists to cover the October 2011 presidential elections. She focused on ethics and balance in the run up to the vote, won by incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize. Piette also produced a video that highlights her work with journalists during the elections and her efforts to build independent media – especially media by and for women.

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