Analog Blogging In Liberia

A low tech approach to news broadcasting is working well for Alfred Sirleaf. He runs a a news and information service called the “Daily News” on the side of a major road in the middle of Monrovia, Liberia. The simple news display consists of a few large blackboards surrounded by some ad space. Sirleaf started the news service as a way to get important news and information into the hands of people who can not afford (or even understand) newspapers. He claims to have 10,000 daily viewers, and runs the whole operation through his cell phone, aided by a group of volunteers around the country who feed him news. As not all of his customers are literate, Sirleaf also uses symbols and pictures to convey his messages. He plans to eventually expand the “chalkboard newspaper” to multiple cities around Liberia.

[via Afrigadget]