"This research project in Liberia has tried to do first steps to understand in detail the quality of media, especially radio, in Liberia and what the audience is thinking of and expecting from the media. Being the first of its kind in Liberia after the end of the civil war it has investigated a) the ... quality of media output by means of content analysis and b) audiences perceptions of the media quality extracted from focus group discussions." (Page 4) more

"There is a general consensus that media are an essential element of democracy if they fulfil particular quality requirements in their reporting. Abundant literature deals with media quality from a theoretical perspective, but empirical knowledge on journalistic practice with regard to its role in d ... emocratization is rare, and this is even more so in the case of African countries. First, this article seeks to assess the quality of radio in Liberia, which is the country’s most popular medium. Second, the article tests a specific methodology in order to measure the contribution of radio to democracy. It argues that radio stations in Liberia strongly differ in their quality, each with specific shortcomings. These findings are confirmed by interviews with civil society representatives and by audience research." (Abstract) more