The “blog” is well-understood, having become a household word in the Americas and Europe, but in a Monrovia, the capital city of the west African nation of Liberia, you may not even recognize them.
Liberia has suffered two decades of civil war. Here, television and radio have all but been destroyed. The internet is very expensive, poverty is commonplace and literacy levels are dangerously low. Getting information is not an easy thing, and blogging as it’s understood in the West may not be the option.
So, to update the people of his community in Monrovia during Liberia’s civil war, Alfred J. Sirleaf started the “Daily Talk” in the year 2000 . His “News Room” is nothing more than a plywood shack and his publication, large fold-out chalkboards facing the street. Every morning he updates the boards with aggregated headlines and top stories scavenged from around the city. He posts symbols such as UN helmets and other such items relating to the main story topic to entice readership and help with the folks who can’t read. The New York Times has reported that it is “the most widely read report” in Monrovia.
Since starting his “Anablog”, Alfred has been intimidated, arrested and has had his publication torn down. He has even spent time in exile for his efforts, but he won’t quit.
”Daily Talk’s objective is that everybody should absorb the news,” says Alfred. ”Because when a few people out there make decisions on behalf of the masses that do not go down with them, we are all going to be victims.” (ref)
Grateful readers line up in droves, on foot and in cars, to read these updates, in what has been described as the country’s — and probably the world’s — only analog blog.’”
Listen to the World Vision Report
The Daily Talk on Wikipedia
Thanks for the tip Daniel P.
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11 Responses to “The World’s Only Analog Blog”
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November 1st, 2009 at 11:10 am
The World’s Only Analog Blog http://ff.im/-aPxI1
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November 1st, 2009 at 1:25 pm
The Analog Blog in Liberia is amazing http://bit.ly/2HN7pU
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November 1st, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Imagine getting news like this
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November 1st, 2009 at 5:12 pm
The World’s Only Analog Blog http://j.mp/4usz3W Imagine getting news like this
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November 1st, 2009 at 7:11 pm
The World’s Only Analog Blog – http://bit.ly/141IJh
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November 1st, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Johnny Long’s IHackStuff blog was, for quite a while, analog. The posts were photos of hand-written pages uploaded to wordpress.
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November 1st, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Ax0n
Of course, putting it in wordpress for digital deliver disqualifies it from being analog.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
The World’s Only Analog Blog – http://bit.ly/analogBlog
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November 2nd, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Blog on a blackboard http://bit.ly/DJ5N0 An inspirational story for all communicators
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November 3rd, 2009 at 11:34 am
Very interesting stuff… RT @morrischris: The World’s Only Analog Blog – http://bit.ly/2HN7pU (wow)
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November 3rd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Blog Analogo en Monrovia, Liberia http://twurl.nl/ol8g8f
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