A group of broadcast journalists from Africa is currently visiting the United States on a special program. VOA English to Africa reporter James Butty was invited by the Washington Foreign Press Center to speak to the journalists yesterday. Afterward, they spoke with James about their US visit and their positions in Africa.
“My name is Nike Coker from Cool FM in Abuja. I’m here for a three-week program on radio broadcasting, and am meeting a whole lot of American and African broadcasters and journalists. It’s been fine so far. We’re just on the first leg in Washington, DC We’ll move to Minnesota, we’ll go to New Mexico, and then we’ll end up in Florida.”
Nike says she hosts the show The Mid-Day Oasis focusing on entertainment with a political touch.
Jeff Tarnue is a program producer and presenter with Star Radio, a news and information station in Liberia. He says the election last year has brought some improvement in freedom of the press and information in Liberia.
“Well I get it is getting better than ever before every day because journalists are not being chased like before. Maybe it is not quote and quote like we say a military government. But it’s a good atmosphere for press freedom in Liberia.”
Hauwa Ibrahim is an editor and reporter of the education desk with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria. She says she enjoys her job covering education except for some constraints that journalists experience when covering the bureaucracy.
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