This project was initiated in December 2006 by KAD with financial support from the Open Society Institute in order to protect and promote the human rights and democracy through reporting and publication of newspaper, to act as a mechanism through which local people will express their views and advocate and to play a role as an independent print media and as a messenger to convey what the government and other institutions have done to local communities and bring back the communities’ needs and problems to the country’s leaders and various institutions. The project goal is to improve the respect for human rights and principles of democracy in Cambodia through community media.
The project activities are as follows:
• Reporting and writing stories,
• Building the staff capacity in journalism and code of ethics and a variety of project policies,
• Designing and publishing the newspapers,
• Distributing the newspapers,
• Organizing monthly meetings of advisory board,
• Promotion of project to local communities.
Target Groups and Partners:
• Rural and remote community people,
• Government institutions from local to national levels,
• National assembly,
• Senate,
• National and international organizations,
• Some of urban people,
• Traders.
To Whom and How the Newspapers Distributed:
• The newspapers are distributed to the above-mentioned target groups and partners and newsstands.
• In Ta Khmao town and Phnom Penh, two distributors directly distribute the newspapers.
• For provincial distribution, two distributors and office staff pack the newspapers into envelops and send them with buses and taxi cars to provincial reports who pass them to provincial halls and various institutions under provincial halls to district and commune authorities.
Expected Results:
• The government solve the problems and needs of local people,
• Local people access information and make the right decision in selecting their future leaders,
• Human rights and democratic violations reduced,
• Freedom of expression and advocacy through local media improved,
• The newspaper makes a good model for other media and helps reduce media corruption.
• The provincial reporters’ capacity improved.