Nomination for FY06 Edward R. Murrow Program for

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 000142 SIPDIS FOR ECA/PE/V/G/R/A EBUTLER/SKNOTT; AF/PD PERHNMAN, AJOHNSON E.O. 12358:N/A TAGS: OEXC SCUL CG XA KPAO SUBJECT: Nomination for FY06 Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, April 3-21, 2006 REF: 05 STATE 224190 START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT): : The following data is in a fixed format, which enables : Automated processing in Washington and should not be : Edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software. EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB VERSION: 3.0.7 POST-EMAIL: MetaAK@state.gov TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS Kinshasa TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 4307 EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA START NOMINATION: ECA-OFFICE: E/VGA PROG-AGENCY-NAME: Meridian International Center POST-PROJ-ID: 59 ECA-PROJ-NO: PROJ-NAME: Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists START MEMO PROJ-DESC: Young media professionals will attend briefings on the U.S. political system and foreign policy formation in Washington, study for five days at an American school of journalism, visit a state capital to understand media coverage of state politics and government, see civic life in small-town America, and return to Washington to participate in an international symposium. END MEMO PROJ-DESC: PROJ-TYPE: Regional PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor FY: 2006 DEPART-POST: 03/31/2006 SESSION-DATE: 04/03/2006 RETURN-POST: 04/22/2006 NO-OF-PART: 1 RANK-ORDER: 1 ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1035 PROG-AGENCY-ID: 1287 PROJ-TYPE-ID: RP PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 NOMINATING-POST-ID: 4307 FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: STATUS: N ORIGINATOR: P SUBJ-DISC: Communications & Information START BIO: PREFIX: Mr. F-NAME: Franklin M-NAME: L-NAME: Moliba-Sese SUFFIX: POSITION-CODE: 610 PRINCIPAL? Yes GENDER: M DOB: 10/26/1978 MAR-STAT: S BIRTH-CITY: Gbadolite BIRTH-CNTRY: Democratic Republic of Congo CITIZ-CNTRY: Democratic Republic of Congo RES-CNTRY: Democratic Republic of Congo START MEMO POSITION: Political Sub-Editor - "Radio Okapi" END MEMO POSITION: START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: Program Host END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 2002: Reporter analyst, "Radio Okapi" 2002: Reporter correspondent, "Radio Okapi" 1999-2000: Newscaster, "Radio Liberte" END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: START MEMO US-TRAVEL: None. END MEMO US-TRAVEL: START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 1998: Central African Republic END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: START MEMO EDUCATION: 1999: One year training in journalism, Gbadolite, Province of Equateur, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1998: High School diploma in Literature (Latin-Philo),"Institut of Gbadolite," Province of Equateur, Democratic Republic of the Congo END MEMO EDUCATION: START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 2004-2006: Vice-President, MONUC Labor Union END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: None END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: None END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: FIRST-LANG: Other ENGL-READ: 2 ENGL-SPEAK: 2 ENGL-COMP: 2 START OTHER-LANGS: OTHER-LANG: French OTHER-LANG-ID: FR READ: 5 SPEAK: 5 COMP: 5 END OTHER-LANGS: START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: Post Objective: We hope our proven, young journalist, and others to follow him, will help chart the future of radio journalism in the DR Congo, using what they will have learned in the U.S. about sound journalistic practices, and public and private radio operations. We believe that radio, which reaches more people in this vast country than any other media, will play the largest role in the spread of civic education and democratic culture. For more than 40 years, the DR Congo has failed as a democracy. Helping the Congolese attain their democratic aspirations - after the world's most costly conflict (in lives lost) since the Second World War - is our Mission's number one goal. Radio's impact, for good or ill, is already considerable. We are intent on ensuring that responsible journalism prevails. END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: Post Recommendation: It is important that our young nominee, Franklin Moliba-Sese, take stock of the role of the media in a democracy, and particularly that of public radio, which is his medium. In particular, National Public Radio (NPR) and various associated institutions and foundations (e.g., PRI) could well provide a model for the pending metamorphosis of the national radio where he works. A look at local and regional pubic radio stations could be most instructive. In addition to the structure of radio in the U.S., Mr. Moliba-Sese should be given ample opportunity to see how American radio journalists and editors put stories together for broadcast, with emphasis placed on current affairs. We would also recommend that he visit VOA and IIP to see what resources are available to African radio stations. END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: START MEMO VIS-OBJ: Franklin Moliba-Sese wants to improve his skills as a journalist and editor, and he wants to know more about the organization of the media, particularly radio, in the West. END MEMO VIS-OBJ: START MEMO VIS-REC: END MEMO VIS-REC: NOMINATING-OFFICER: DCM and PAO START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: Radio Okapi has offered us, we think, their most promising candidate. Franklin Moliba-Sese edits and hosts the most listened- to daily talk show, called "Dialogue Entre Congolais." In fact, it is the only such program heard nationwide in the DR Congo. With other Radio Okapi editors, Franklin determines the daily topic. Then Franklin assigns several "framing" reports from field reporters for the show, lines up adversarial guests, and goes live on the air for 45 minutes of prime time, guiding the discussion and fielding SMS comments from listeners. Franklin's recent subjects have included the parliamentary debate over open-versus- closed lists of candidates for the DRC's first democratic elections in 40 years, mineral rights, and an assessment on the fifth anniversary of Joseph Kabila's presidency. Franklin also used his show to host nightly debates prior to last month's constitutional referendum. His guests are usually government ministers, MPs, party spokesmen, academics, and international journalists and development experts. At 27 years of age, and never having traveled outside of the Central African region, Franklin controls the microphone. His talent and promise are evident. The managers of Radio Okapi, the UN-sponsored radio station in the DRC, and we think that Franklin Moliba-Sese will play a key role in determining the future of Radio Okapi, the most respected news source in the DR Congo, once the UN mandate ends here. The timing for his international exposure is now, and we will be fortunate to be the first country to host him as a professional. END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: NOM-OFF: DCM and PAO SPEAKER? Yes NOTIFY-EMB: No MEDIA? Yes HOME-STAY: No HOME-HOSP? Yes E-I-TYPE: INTERPRETER NOMINEE-ID: 122 PERSON-ID: 124 BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CG CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CG RES-CNTRY-ID: CG FIRST-LANG-ID: YZ E-I-TYPE-ID: I NOM-POST-ID: 4307 NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 0 NOM-STATUS: N DS2019-ACTION: 1 DS2019-SUBJECT: 09.0401 SPONS-FUNDS: USD 9,188.00 SPONS-AGENCY1: USGOVT-AGENCY1: US-AGENCY-AMT1: 0 USGOVT-AGENCY2: US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 INTL-ORG1: INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 INTL-ORG2: INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 COMMISSION: 0 OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 VIS-AMOUNT: 0 VIS-CAT: 5 END BIO: END NOMINATION: END FIXED-FORMAT TEXT: Meece