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Young journalists in Gambia celebrate 3 year anniversary
Friday, 17 September 2010 01:05
By Abdoulie JohnThe Young Journalists Association of The Gambia (YJAG) last Thursday marked its 3rd year anniversary with a colorful programme punctuated by a march-past that culminated in a symposium on the theme: ‘“Promoting the Welfare of Young Journalists in the Gambia.’
The event brought together members of the media fraternity, including media chiefs and other people interested in a profession badly hit by a hostile environment abounding with a growing trend of threat to journalists.
As an affiliate body of the umbrella body, the Gambia Press Union (GPU), YJAG has been playing key role in reshaping the media landscape by opening the consciousness of its members to a sense of duty and responsibility.
Thursday’s march-past took the young journalists from Westfield Junction to the Traffic Light Junction, on Kairaba Avenue.
In a resounding statement shortly after, YJAG President Assan Sallah recalled that young journalists were regarded as the life blood of media houses especially the print media, simply because they bring news for publication. Therefore, he said, their welfare should be a great concern to all the media chiefs that they are serving.
It is in this regard that YJAG has been very active these past months in putting the welfare of young Gambian journalists at centre stage of the profession, he noted. He highlighted some of their undertakings which included tour of media houses to meet with media chiefs, their effort in improving the standard of the journalists through the provision of in-house training, capacity building on the code of ethics of the profession, effort to influence increased salaries and wages for reporters, dissuasion of ‘arm chair’ or lazy journalism and even gutter journalism, among others.
“We have also conducted training on media laws in The Gambia and series of other capacity building programmes,” Sallah told audience.
In an attempt to break the wall of misunderstanding between the media and a government that was tied to a sort of self-defense attitude during almost two decennia, the YJAG head pointed out that the latest initiative undertaken by his organization in the aim of promoting the welfare of young journalists was consecrated by the meeting they had, on September 3, 2010, with the Minister of Interior and NGO Affairs, Ousman Sonko.
“During that meeting, we discussed with the Interior Minister and his team our plans to come up with a Memorandum of Understanding between YJAG and the Interior ministry,” to safeguard against harassment or intimidation perpetrated against young journalists in the country.
He said they also discussed that in the event that any such problem occurred, dialogue between the YJAG executive and the security would be given precedence.
The YJAG president also pointed to a landmark courtesy call they made on the Gambian Vice-President, Isatou Njie-Saidy. “This was a pragmatic demonstration on the part of the young journalists, of the role of the media in educating the masses,” he said.
The 3-year anniversary of YJAG points at a significant stride by the Gambian media in its effort towards attaining freedom and responsibility.
As young journalists symbolize the future of a profession confronted with incessant assaults by liberticidal institutions and governments, there is an urgent need to revisit the concept of journalism in a continent emblematic in violating human rights abuses…
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Your truky brother,
Lamin Jarju
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