Community Newspaper
This project was initiated in December 2006 by Khmer Association for Development under financial support of the Open Society Institute. This is the first time that the community newspaper is available in Cambodia. There are a lot of news agencies in Cambodia, but they publish and distribute the newspapers only in the cities. The community newspaper project publishes and distributes the weekly newspapers to rural, remote areas. The rural, remote people are not interested in or have no habit of reading. The project try to get the remote people into habit of reading and provide them with access to information.

Project Goal
The goal of the project is to boost the respect for human rights and democracy through print media and objectives the project.

Project Objectives

  1. Provide rural, remote people with media services and access to information
  2. Encourage the local people to express their ideas, opinions and  advocacy through print media
  3. Convey the local people’s needs and problems to the government and various institutions
  4. Monitor the human rights abuses and protect the human rights
  5. Be independent print media
  6. Enable the local people to get a habit of reading the newspaper
  7. Build the staff capacity in journalism
  8. Raise awareness of general social issues such as laws, agriculture, human rights, democracy, social security, health, environment, corruption, social injustice, culture, economy, policy, gender, human trafficking, narcotic drugs, domestic violence, education.

The journalism training
The journalism training began. Mr. Chay Sophal on behalf of DMC is undertaking the journalism training course starting from December 2006 to February 2007. For the period of December 2006, 4 journalism trainers were invited to lecture and share their experience, skills and profession such as Mr. Chay Sophal from DMC, Mr. Sum Ratana from DMC, the Royal Phnom Penh University, Mr. Sou Sophoanara from Save the Children, Norway, Mr. Saing Soenrith from Cambodia Daily Newspaper providing the lectures as follows:

  1. Media Overview
  2. Basic Journalism
  3. Type of news
  4. Media Responsibility/Accountability
  5. Community Media
  6. Newsroom Management
  7. Communication
  8. Photographing

The staff were trained in story planning, how to collect news, news sources, interview techniques, types of interview, how to write straight/hot news, how to write news feature, how to write the newspaper opinion-column and editorial and how to design the pictures and arrange texts. Mr. Saing Soenrith, Associate Editor-from Cambodia Daily Newspaper was invited to be a speaker commenting on security information. Mr. Ky Soklim, Journalist from Cambodge Soir Newspaper and Mr. Nguon Serath from Reak Smei Kampuchea Newspaper were invited to be the speakers commenting on Policy and Economy.

Mr. Sun Chan Taravuth, lawyer and law advisor was invited to be the speaker commenting on law-related issues such as freedom and subjects of publication, prohibition of publication and responsibility of journalist. Seven speakers from district authorities of Kien Svay including district deputy governor, deputy police inspector, deputy education office head, district administration officer, health and agriculture office heads and commune representative were invited to comment on general administration, security, education, health and agriculture issues of Kien Svay district.

As part of the journalism training, the four journalists of the community newspaper project were sent to get information on the roundtable discussion on enlargement of European membership from 25-27 countries organized by the Club of Cambodian Journalists at Sunway hotel under support of European delegation to Cambodia. The speakers were:

  1. Mr. Puy Kea, the board member of the Club of Cambodian Journalists.
  2. Mr. Winston Mc Colgan, European Delegation to Cambodia commented on the background and process ofthe European Union Enlargement.
  3. H.E. Mr. Pius Fischer, the EU Council Head, Ambassadorof Germany delivered his speech.
  4. H.E. Mr. Krassimir Petrov, Bulgarian, delivered his speech.The four journalists of the community newspaper project were sent to collect information in discussion forum at U.S. Embassy on the subject “ Nhem En, A Khmer Rough Photographer- Forgiveness & Reconciliation” organized by the Club of Cambodian Journalists andDocumentation Center of Cambodia with the U.S. Embassy
  5. Mr. Nhem En, Khmer Rough Photographer
  6. Joseph Mussomeli, U.S Ambassador
  7. Mr. Youk Chhang, Director of Documentation Center of CambodiaTwo of the project staff, Mr. Phen Sinath, editor and Mr. Peou Neang assistant editor were sent to attend the workshop on Khmer Rough Trial Reporting organized by Club of Cambodian Journalists in civil peace service from December 19-27, 2006 supported by DED. All the project staff conducted the study tours to the Reak Smei Kampuchea and Cambodia Daily in order to get experience, knowledge and skills for implementing the project successfully. During the period of study tours, staff met with Mr. Kevin Doyle, editor in-chief of Cambodia Daily and Mr. Pen Someti, editor in-chief of Raksmei Kampuchea news. Both of them explained about their work, experience and problems and allowed our team to ask them a lot of questions relating to the newspaper publication. In October 2007, the INTERNEWS provided all the staff of community newspaper project with training session in basic media ethics for reporting on HIV/AIDS in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with financial support of DFID. Apart from journalism training, distributors and journalists were trained in on marketing, computer and English language skills by project management director and editor.

    Reporting, Story – Writing and Publications of the newspapers:
    The project contracted the 9-month publication of the newspapers with printing house in Phnom Penh starting in March and finishing in November of 2007. There were 4 reporters who covered 3 communes each. Kbal Koh, Preke Eng, Veal Sbove communes covered by Mss. Nguon Sopheap, Prek Thmei, Chheu Teal, Kampong Svay communes covered by Mr. An Channthla. Phom Thom, Koki, Dei Eth communes covered by Mr.Ven Chhunheat. Banteay Dek, Samraong Thom and Koki Thom covered by Mr. Bou Chanthet. Project management director, editor and assistant editor had a meeting to decide on the stories that would be written and then commanded the reporters to report in their respective target areas. The reporters went to meet with commune councils, commune or district police, community people for reporting. And sometimes, they called the reporters to go for reporting. Normally, from Monday to Friday, the 4 reporters went out to the fields and returned to office for writing. When reporters finished writing their stories, they were passed to editor and assistant editor for correction and then they were given to designer. Designer typed the stories into computer CorelDraw Graphic program and then printed them out for review. On Friday afternoon, all stories were printed out for final correction and collective approval by editorial board before sending them to printing house in Phnom Penh for publication. At printing house, the project designer still worked with designer there on designing and publication to avoid any eventual mistakes.

    Opening the sale outlets of the newspapers and looking for advertisement:
    Over the period of first 3 months, the newspapers were distributed free of charge in the aim at allowing the people to know the community newspaper. The distribution staff opened 36 sale points of the newspapers throughout Kien Svay district at markets, grocery shops, motor bike mending stores, restaurants, bookstores. There were 3 sale points in Veal Sbov commune. There were 3 sale points in Prek Eng commune. There were 4 sale points in Kbal Koh commune. There were 3 sale points in Phom Thom commune. There were 5 sale points in Koki commune. There were 2 sale points in Dei Eth commune. There were 2 sale points in Banteay Dek commune. There were 3 sale points in Samraong Thom commune. There were 2 sale points in Koki Thom commune. There were 3 sale points in Kampong Svay commune. There 2 sale points in Cheu Teal commune. There were 4 sale points in Prek Thmei commune. The sale points were established in every village but in some villages, there was one sale point and some others, there were two or three sale points. This depended on the size of the village. Each copy of the newspaper cost 500 riels (US$0.12). Each sale point got from 5 to 10 copies of the newspapers. The newspapers were also distributed to commune councils, high schools, health centers, commune administrative police posts, district hall, institutions under district hall, NGOs and individuals. The commune councils subscribed the newspapers for themselves and for village leaders below them. So the distribution of our newspapers spread throughout their communes. There are 14 high schools in district. School directors subscribed the newspapers, then handed out to their educational staff. Each school subscribed 2-5 copies. The subscription depended upon their financial resource. The money was collected from the clients at the end of each month. As for advertisement, the distributing staff traveled throughout Kien Svay district to contact and negotiate with NGOs, local government institutions and business people for advertisement through the newspaper. During the period of publication, the advertisement of hand phone sale shop, construction materials shop, private school and micro-financial institution. The clients were required to pay a monthly fee of US$10 for their advertisement. The policy of the project is that publication of the development activities of local government, communities and NGOs is exempted from payment.