Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger

Liberias Blackboard Blogger

Alfred Sirleaf is an analog blogger. He take runs the “Daily News”, a news hut by the side of a major road in the middle of Monrovia. He started it a number of years ago, stating that he wanted to get news into the hands of those who couldn’t afford newspapers, in the language that they could understand.

Alfred serves as a reminder to the rest of us, that simple is often better, just because it works. The lack of electricity never throws him off. The lack of funding means he’s creative in ways that he recruits people from around the city and country to report news to him. He uses his cell phone as the major point of connection between him and the 10,000 (he says) that read his blackboard daily.


Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger from WhiteAfrican on Vimeo.

Not all Liberians who read his news are literate, so he makes use of symbols. Whether it’s a UN or military helmet, a poster of a soccer player or a bottle of colored water to denote gas prices, he is determined to get the message out in any way that he can.

Liberia - Daily News props

Advertising works here too. It’s $5 to be on the bottom level, $10 to be on the sideboard and $25 on the main section. He doesn’t get a lot of advertising, and but he manages to scrape by.

His plans for the future include decentralizing his work, this means opening up identical locations in other parts of Monrovia, and in a few of the larger cities around the country. I don’t put it past Alfred either, he’s a scrappy entrepreneur on a mission to bring information and news to ordinary Liberians. He’s succeeded thus far, and I would put my money on him growing it even further.

Alfred Sirleaf talking to a news reader

(Also, read the NYT piece on him from 3 years ago)

(note: title for this post stolen shamelessly from Rebecca’s Pocket. I also first posted this at WhiteAfrican, because I couldn’t decide if it was an AfriGadget story or not…)

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56 comments for this post.

Comment from Analog blogging in Liberia « Eat an ice cream - thoughts of a third culture kid
13 March 2009 - 6:48 am - :

[...] Analog blogging in Liberia And once again Twitter throws some great content my way. This time it’s @ourman who links to one of the best stories I’ve ever seen, about a Liberian analog blogger,  over at Africagadget.com. [...]

Comment from   The blackboard blogger by andydickinson.net
13 March 2009 - 7:11 am - :

[...] to @ourman for the tiwtter tip off for this great post at AfriGadget about Alfred Sirleaf, Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger. Alfred serves as a reminder to the rest of us, that simple is often better, just because it works. [...]

Comment from …My heart’s in Accra » links for 2009-03-13
13 March 2009 - 8:06 am - :

[...] AfriGadget Blog Archive Liberia%u2019s Blackboard Blogger Afrigadget's Eric Hersman interviews Alfred Sirleaf, founder of Liberia's "The Daily Talk", a chalkboard newspaper that publishes in Monrovia (tags: africa blogging technology mobile liberia monrovia appropriatetech journalism newspapers) [...]

Comment from links for 2009-03-13 « 6 to cut, 4 to sharpen
13 March 2009 - 10:04 am - :

[...] Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger A visual example that sometimes cellphones are just the most efficient way to get things onto the blackboard. To me, it shows that distribution through and to the community is key. (tags: technology Africa internet news media mobile blog Liberia) [...]

Comment from Jikomboe » Ulidhani Kublogu Lazima Utumie Kompyuta?
13 March 2009 - 12:42 pm - :

[...] “mwanablogu” Liberia ambaye hatumii kompyuta. Sasa anablogu vipi? Unajiuliza. Soma hapa utashangaa. [...]

Comment from Liberia: Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger | NhanLife
13 March 2009 - 12:58 pm - :

[...] Liberia: Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger White African writes about Alfred Sirleaf, Liberia's blackboard blogger. [...]

Comment from Nate Berkopec
13 March 2009 - 2:54 pm - :

So cool. Gas is *expensive* though! To be expected.

Comment from We Clicked On: Mixing Up Print and Online | CoPress
13 March 2009 - 4:19 pm - :

[...] Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger – Erik Hersman (AKA White African) interviews Alfred Sirleaf, an “analog blogger.” Mainstream news organizations could learn a lot from this guy (read the article for the full deal): [...]

Comment from Video: Liberianische Wandzeitung | E Pluribus Unum
13 March 2009 - 11:00 pm - :

[...] Alfred Sirleaf ist ein „analoger Blogger“.  Seine „Daily News“ ist ein Stand am Rand einer Hauptverkehrstraße in der liberianischen Hauptstadt Monrovia. Seit einem Jahr bringt er mit seiner unkonventionellen Tages-Wandzeitung auch den Analphabeten der Stadt die Nachrichten näher. Nun will er expandieren. Erik Hersman, dessen Bild hier unter einer CC-Lizenz verwendet wird, portraitierte ihn für AfriGadget. [...]

Comment from Maka Patrick Mwasomola
15 March 2009 - 6:24 am - :

Ndesanjo,huyo jamaa wa Liberia amenikumbusha mbali sana.Amenikumbusha mwaka 1991-1993 Kantalamba High School wakati huo nchi ina magazeti machache sana na mitandao ndo kabisa ilikuwa haijaingia kabisa,simu za kunyonga pale Posta na Simu Sumbawanga mjini tena kwa sisi wanafunzi kupiga lazima ni Rivasi Call maana hatuna pesa hata!
Sasa mwanafunzi mmoja Boaz Ackimu Boaz akaanzisha gazeti kuandika kwa kalamu na kila Jijumaa lazima gazeti litoke lote kuanzia habari za kisiasa,uchumi,michezo burudani na kila kitu na pia lazima Boaz[Mwameja] alikuwa kipa wa darasa na baadaye shule acheze mpira,aende darasani,ahudhurie misa kanisani lazima awepo bwenini lakini pamoja na yote hayo gazeti lazima litoke.Wakati mwingine makaratasi hayatoshi inabidi aandike halafu aweke-na kusema habari itaendelea wiki ijayo!Kwa kweli umenikumbusha mbali sana kisa cha huyojamaa wa Liberia ya Samuel Doe,Prince Jonson,Charles Taylor na Mama Sirleaf!

Comment from Maka Patrick Mwasomola
15 March 2009 - 6:27 am - :

Ndesanjo,huyo jamaa wa Liberia amenikumbusha mbali sana.Amenikumbusha mwaka 1991-1993 Kantalamba High School wakati huo nchi ina magazeti machache sana na mitandao ndo kabisa ilikuwa haijaingia kabisa,simu za kunyonga pale Posta na Simu Sumbawanga mjini tena kwa sisi wanafunzi kupiga lazima ni Rivasi Call maana hatuna pesa hata!
Sasa mwanafunzi mmoja Boaz Ackimu Boaz akaanzisha gazeti kuandika kwa kalamu na kila Jijumaa lazima gazeti litoke lote kuanzia habari za kisiasa,uchumi,michezo burudani na kila kitu na pia lazima Boaz a.k.a.[Mwameja]maana pia alikuwa kipa wa darasa na baadaye shule acheze mpira,aende darasani,ahudhurie misa kanisani lazima awepo bwenini lakini pamoja na yote hayo gazeti lazima litoke.Wakati mwingine makaratasi hayatoshi inabidi aandike halafu aweke-na kusema habari itaendelea wiki ijayo!Kwa kweli umenikumbusha mbali sana kisa cha huyojamaa wa Liberia ya Samuel Doe,Prince Jonson,Charles Taylor na Mama Sirleaf!

Comment from Maka Patrick Mwasomola
15 March 2009 - 6:30 am - :

Ndesanjo,huyo jamaa wa Liberia amenikumbusha mbali sana.Amenikumbusha mwaka 1991-1993 Kantalamba High School mjini Sumbawanga,Rukwa, wakati huo nchi ina magazeti machache sana na mitandao ndo kabisa ilikuwa haijaingia kabisa,simu za kunyonga pale Posta na Simu Sumbawanga mjini tena kwa sisi wanafunzi kupiga lazima ni Rivasi Call maana hatuna pesa hata!
Sasa mwanafunzi mmoja Boaz Ackimu Boaz akaanzisha gazeti kuandika kwa kalamu na kila Ijumaa lazima gazeti litoke lote kuanzia habari za kisiasa,uchumi,michezo burudani na kila kitu na pia lazima Boaz a.k.a.[Mwameja]Tanzania one wa Kantalamba maana pia alikuwa kipa wa darasa na baadaye timu ya shule acheze mpira,aende darasani,ahudhurie misa kanisani lazima awepo bwenini lakini pamoja na yote hayo gazeti lazima litoke.Wakati mwingine makaratasi hayatoshi inabidi aandike halafu aweke-na kusema habari itaendelea wiki ijayo!Kwa kweli umenikumbusha mbali sana kisa cha huyojamaa wa Liberia ya Samuel Doe,Prince Jonson,Charles Taylor na Mama Sirleaf!

Comment from Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger | Renegade Futurist
15 March 2009 - 9:43 am - :

[...] Full Story: AfriGadget [...]

Comment from Frerieke
15 March 2009 - 12:07 pm - :

I like it Erik!

Comment from paula
15 March 2009 - 10:59 pm - :

Great story, I love it.

Comment from ネットのサービスをネットでしなければどうなるか? | High Concept
15 March 2009 - 11:43 pm - :

[...] AfriGadget » Blog Archive » Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger [...]

Comment from Xeni on the Road in West Africa: Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger - Crapazon
16 March 2009 - 7:49 am - :

[...] video. See lots of photos of Mr. Sirleaf’s “analog blog,” and read the full post at Afrigadget (or WhiteAfrican). Also: here’s a New York Times story about him from a few years [...]

Comment from Analog Blogging In Liberia - PSFK.com
16 March 2009 - 10:56 am - :

[...] [via Afrigadget] [...]

Comment from what consumes me, bud caddell » Analog Blogging In Liberia
16 March 2009 - 11:50 am - :

[...] [via Afrigadget] [...]

Comment from Business & Finance Blogs » Blog Archive » Analog Blogging In Liberia
16 March 2009 - 2:04 pm - :

[...] [via Afrigadget] [...]

Comment from El “blogger” liberiano del pizarrón « tejiendo redes
16 March 2009 - 3:50 pm - :

[...] Alfred Sirleaf no tiene comparación con nada de lo que escuchamos en la blogósfera. Llegué por AfriGadget donde lo consideran un blogger [...]

Comment from Dan
17 March 2009 - 12:59 am - :

This was actually really cool to see. I was in Liberia for six months and would drive past this “analog blog” a few times a day and rarely did you ever see it without at least a few people checking up on the latest goings on…inventive

Comment from Tavlebloggeren i Monrovia | 2050
17 March 2009 - 2:22 am - :

[...] AfriGadget skriver om Alfred Sirleaf, som driver en oppslagstavle med nyheter ved en viktig gate i Monrovia, hovedstaden i Liberia. Sirleaf har drevet tjenesten sin i flere år, og finansierer oppdateringene med reklame. Han mener selv han har minst 10 000 lesere daglig (med andre ord langt mer enn en typisk vestlig blogg), og har rekruttert et nettverk av liberianere som sender ham nyheter via mobil. Planen er etterhvert å utvide tilbudet til flere steder i Monrovia. [...]

Comment from Liberia: Bloggen mit Kreide und Tafel « 11k2
17 March 2009 - 9:39 am - :

[...] für die Analphabeten unter seinen Lesern malt er Symbole mit dazu. (afrigadget via [...]

Comment from links for 2009-03-17 « Sarah Hartley
17 March 2009 - 11:02 am - :

[...] Liberia's blackboard blogger Get back to the essentials – news people need, delivered where they need it. Timely. (tags: journalism blogging blogs news blog newspapers media technology internet mobile africa liberia blackboard monrovia) [...]

Comment from Bloguero liberiano escribe sus posts con tiza y pizarrón - FayerWayer
17 March 2009 - 2:48 pm - :

[...] Liberia’s BlackBoard Blogger (Afrigadget via FayerWayer Brasil) swfobject.embedSWF(“http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf”, [...]

Comment from Bloguero liberiano escribe sus posts con tiza y pizarrón | FeedXtractor
17 March 2009 - 3:41 pm - :

[...] Liberia’s BlackBoard Blogger (Afrigadget via FayerWayer [...]

Comment from meneame.net
17 March 2009 - 5:33 pm - :

Bloguero liberiano escribe sus posts con tiza y pizarrón [ENG]…

Alfred Sirleaf vive en Liberia y, aunque no tiene computador ni acceso a internet, es un blogger de tomo y lomo. Es probablemente, el único bloguero análogo del mundo, pues actualiza su sitio con su puño y tiza. En la principal avenida de Monrovia, …

Comment from Stopping the Presses | Parando as Máquinas « O Lago | The Lake
18 March 2009 - 2:01 am - :

[...] of journalism, we must move on and respect the legacy of good journalists, whether we do it online, using a blackboard, or by smoke signals. The goal is still the [...]

Comment from matma Magazine » Bloger ¡Análogo!
18 March 2009 - 9:20 am - :

[...] [via AfriGadget] [...]

Comment from Analog Blogging « Giladon-line
18 March 2009 - 12:47 pm - :

[...] But there are so many advantages to providing “analog” news: Alfred serves as a reminder to the rest of us, that simple is often better, just because it works. The lack of electricity never throws him off. The lack of funding means he’s creative in ways that he recruits people from around the city and country to report news to him. He uses his cell phone as the major point of connection between him and the 10,000 (he says) that read his blackboard daily. (link) [...]

Comment from Liberiano crea un blog en un pizarrón | Hotwaves
19 March 2009 - 5:32 pm - :

[...] AfriGadget Comparte y [...]

Comment from Analog bloggare « Techrisk
20 March 2009 - 1:48 am - :

[...] nedan kommer från Afrigadget som baserat det på Rebecca’s pocket dvs det är spridande & återanvändande av [...]

Comment from El Jefe de Jefes « El Rincón del Ornitorrinco
20 March 2009 - 6:35 am - :

[...] Este cuate es LA LEY. No tengo palabras para describir la admiración que siento por alguien asi. Sus herramientas: Un pizarron, un gis y su celular. Ya. Debo decir que a menos que me den un mejor ejemplo, este si dejó atrás al proverbial “ingenio del mexicano”. Honor a quien honor merece. Chequen el video en el post original.  [...]

Comment from Going Analogue: Liberia’s Blackboard Blogger | Onelargeprawn
21 March 2009 - 12:00 pm - :

[...] the full story at AfriGadget. Other PostsIf you like this post, try these:Vintage Graphics – Electroshock!Humans Are Among [...]

Comment from Blogueiro Analógico - Idiota não tem tédio
23 March 2009 - 3:59 pm - :

[...] Confira a matéria e o vídeo no Afrigadget. [...]

Comment from Anonymous
24 March 2009 - 7:12 am - :

O blogger analógico…

A história de Alfred Sirleaf (contada pela primeira vez em 2006 pelo NYTimes) é uma história curiosa sobre o espírito empreendedor de um homem mas é também um exemplo que, em tempos de tanto ruído e de tantas soluções miraculosas, importa rete…

Comment from James
24 March 2009 - 8:46 am - :

How do we donate for this project?

He wants to decentralize this idea and spread to different areas of the country. I would really like to help with this.

Comment from deutscher-blog.de
25 March 2009 - 4:31 am - :

Analog blogging in Liberia…

Weil Not bekanntlich erfinderisch macht, bloggt der Liberianer Alfred Sirleaf aktuelle Nachrichten auf einer schwarzen Tafel. Der Daily Talk Blog befindet sich neben einer viel befahrenen Straße in der Mitte von Monrovia der Hauptstadt von Libe…

Comment from Caroline Jaine
30 March 2009 - 12:00 am - :

Loving the Blackboard Blogger1 In fact enjoying the whole site! I have featured you with a link back from our blog pages at http://4imediate.blogspot.com/ our organisation explored using communications for community cohesion and conflict resolution….nfp
Thanks, you are great!
Caroline

Comment from kds
6 April 2009 - 12:23 am - :

real businessman!!

Comment from Chelsea Larosa
17 June 2009 - 5:32 pm - :

blackboard blogging isn’t bad… actually, it is somehow fun… many people have enjoyed this.. you can even earn even in just a simple blackboard blogging. (www.kika.ca)

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22 August 2009 - 9:28 pm - :

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Comment from DevInfo
24 September 2009 - 10:08 pm - :

Hope your popularity is helpful for Liberia in its development initiatives. I read that the Government of Liberia officially launched LiberiaInfo 2.0 as an an important platform for the rollout of statistical products in Liberia. Do you think this would be helpful?

Not trying to spam but this what I read about Liberia and LiberiaInfo:
http://www.devinfo.org/news_content/news_001_69.html

Comment from koko
8 October 2009 - 10:21 pm - :

So cool. Gas is *expensive* though! To be expected.

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Comment from CADRE Advanced Group » The Red Cross Beacon Backpack
8 April 2010 - 5:12 pm - :

[...] A LED or LCD display system will relay asymmetric updates to those within visual range of the device, aiding in connecting communities, leaders and organizations on a larger scale. This is in part inspired by the low-tech solutions utilized in subsaharan africa to communicate economic and political news. [...]

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11 April 2010 - 6:32 am - :

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Comment from Analoge blogger | Waslijn.com
14 July 2010 - 10:32 am - :

[...] zaken waar je je dagelijkse dingetjes, datjes en nieuwtjes de wereld inslingerd. Maar op Afrigadget zag ik ook nog een voorbeeld van ouderwets bloggen. Schoolbord bloggen. Alfred Sirleaf schrijft het [...]

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Comment from Blogger blues…and divine appointments | External Focus at Watermark
27 September 2010 - 1:41 pm - :

[...] Blogger blues…and divine appointments Sorry we were down for a bit…had some server issues and some other problems which I can’t even pronounce much less explain.  In any case, we’re back up for business again for the time being.  It reminded me that sometimes “analog” can be more reliable.  Like this guy who is called the “Liberian Blackboard Blogger” in Africa.  Great story if you’re interested… http://www.afrigadget.com/2009/03/13/liberias-blackboard-blogger/ [...]

Comment from The line between science and journalism is getting blurry….again | Your Great Direct Information
20 December 2010 - 3:23 pm - :

[...] And not even that – where technology is scarce, the analog blogging is live and well (image: Analog blogger, from AfriGadget). [...]

Comment from ο blogger με την Κιμωλία « L'Enfant de la Haute Mer
22 January 2011 - 4:07 pm - :

[...] κύρια πηγη – επίσης – και πληροφορίες από πρώτο [...]

Comment from AfriGadget » Blog Archive » Liberia's Blackboard Blogger « N4MG Themes Scripts and Webmaster
25 February 2011 - 4:21 pm - :

[...] the original here: AfriGadget » Blog Archive » Liberia's Blackboard Blogger Related Posts:All Pro Blogger » Blog Archive » Twitter Talk: J Joe All Pro Blogger » Blog [...]

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12 December 2011 - 8:52 pm - :

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