MONROVIA – Although the official launch of the Public Trust Media Group (PTMG) public fund drive campaign to sustain its 2023 ELECTIONS UPDATE radio magazine program was sparsely attended, the organizer managed to get a total donation of one thousand US dollars (US$1,000) from invited guests who showed up.
Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf made the highest donation, as his proxy, the Director of Project at the Ministry, Emmanuel Wennue presented a check of US$500.00 because the program coincided with his worship at the regular Friday Muslim prayer service.
The program, which was held on Friday, March 3, 2023, in the auditorium of the University of Liberia Graduate School on Capitol Hill, was the launch of the PTMG’s Sustainability Fund Drive of the program with the slogan—“Ballots, Not Bullets, “ is a public service Journalism civic education initiative via radio and online on YouTube.
Minister Sirleaf hailed the initiative of the PTMG to produce a radio program exclusively devoted to election issues and not personalities, with the objective to promote free, fair, credible, transparent, and violence-free presidential and legislative elections on October 10.
The Internal Affairs Minister said this is the kind of project that the Peacebuilding Office at his Ministry would like to partner with.
Presented by prominent Liberian Journalist, Frank Sainworla, Jr. who is Managing Editor of PTMG—which operates the news website, www.newspublictrust.com, 2023 ELECTIONS UPDATE kicked off two months ago to give early elections information to the Liberian public, ahead of Oct 10 and beyond.
The seven radio stations which have so far been broadcasting the show are ECOWAS Radio, Truth Bana FM, Prime FM, United Methodist Radio, LUX FM and Power FM, with plans to extend the coverage to many other urban and rural stations.
At the launch of the sustainability fund drive on Friday, the head of Communications and Public Affairs at the YMCA Liberia, Morris Kamara said the YMCA Youth Radio in Gbarnga Bong County would be added to the list of seven stations airing the program. Former Public Works Minister, Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods is now the new Chairman of the YMCA Board.
Mr. Kamara stressed the importance of this radio program in an election year that is tension-packed while making a pledge to the fund drive.
The full list of those who made pledges will later be published on the Facebook page of PTMG. Meanwhile, the latest edition (8th) of the elections update program hits the airwaves this weekend.
Topping the list of an array of personalities invited to the event is President George Manneh Weah, opposition politicians, private citizens, and the general public.
PTMG is an independent and nonpartisan media outlet committed to pursuing public service Journalism. This entity reflects my passion for Good Journalism as an indispensable element of democracy.
