Radio personality
David Moepeng is a media manager, veteran news reporter and radio personality.
Moepeng started at Yarona FM in 2000 as a news reporter. A committed journalist, presenter and producer, he moved up the ranks to become the station’s head of news, and then station manager in 2013. He was a journalist for 16 years before starting his own media company, which also engages in media monitoring efforts.
Moepeng says that while at Yarona FM, he initiated numerous public journalism projects, his main aim being to inspire and encourage Botswana’s youth to actively participate in the country’s socioeconomic and political landscape.
His motivation comes from seeing the huge influence that Yarona FM has on the youth demographic.“Realising that the youthful audience was mostly interested in music and other entertainment programmes, despite facing various socioeconomic ills,
I initiated and promoted news and programming content. It aimed at sensitising the country’s young generation about the importance of taking part in the political and electoral processes of the country.”
He set out to do this through radio programmes such as Mr Ed, Political Power Punch, Live the Talk, Live the Politics, Elections Debates and Point Blank. He produced and presented these shows himself from 2001 to 2013, until he became the station’s manager.
Moepeng believes these and other initiatives have led to increased youth participation in elections. This surge was reflected in the 2014 general election, where for the first time since independence, the percentage of youth votes rose to 48%.
Having fought for young people to have a voice, Moepeng would like to urge the youth to put their ideas into action.
He stresses that they are the pacesetters in their society.
Moepeng went through the Yarona FM management development programme, which included studying at Rhodes University in South Africa from 2009 to 2010. He attained two postgraduate diplomas, in Media Management and Economic Journalism.
He won the prestigious Media Institute of Southern Africa country Radio Presenter of the Year Award in 2006, and numerous awards have been won by the radio station for news and current affairs programmes over the years.
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