Lack of online journalism drags Liberian sports writers down
You will not find many sports journalists in the country online at the moment as many lack computers at home and even electricity.
This adds to constraints faced by the sporting media in Liberia, making the stay-home order unbearable and increasing mental tension. Sports journalists in Liberia are lockdown at their respective homes, struggling to manage with their respective families under a strenuous economic.
The Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in Liberia has had a staggering and damaging effects on the sporting press and its members, as there is a complete cease in sports writing activities across the country.
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Besides media colleagues who report on other issues, sports journalists have nothing to write as their institutions have either suspended sports program/shows on radio stations or not publishing dallies on the newsstand.
Radio and TV stations are not talking or reporting sports because there are no actions. Newspapers (expect for three or four online papers) have closed or suspended publications. This has caused the more than hundred active sports journalists to become idle or jobless in Liberia.
The coronavirus pandemic has shut down normality, sports reporters and producers, as well as publishers have gone into serious economic situation.
With the low salary payments to the Liberian Sporting Press, the covid-19 pandemic has seriously affected members of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL). The Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) itself has not been able to carter for its members as itself is experiencing the situation. But SWAL Leadership recently managed to purchase over eighty (80) bags of 25kg rice to shear among its members who are in dying needs for food and nonfood assistances.
The leadership is currently still making frantic efforts in soliciting aid to help address situations affecting members in this coronavirus crisis, especially those ill.
As most sporting entities in the country hired PROs on a contractual basis (mostly as volunteers), and with the shot down of these sporting institutions, sports writers’ situations can only get compounded, as cash coming from media related works from these entities are not available, leaving sports writers broke or without cash.
Source: www.aipsmedia.com
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