Mr. Modou S. Joof |
YJAG ACTIVITY REPORT
2009-2011
Prepared and presented by Mr Modou S.
Joof, YJAG Assistant Secretary General, @ the 4th Anniversary and
Congress of YJAG on October 22, 2011 @ the Kanifing Municipal Council
Multipurpose Complex, Jimpex Road, Kanifing
The outgoing executive came into being on September 16, 2009
during the first Congress of the Young Journalist Association of The Gambia (YJAG).
After observing democracy, the new executive continues to
work under the action plan of the former executive. One of the activities it
held in November 2009 was a “Climate
Change Conference” funded by the World Wildlife Fund, through the Ministry
of Forestry and the Environment.
The conference was designed to increase the knowledge of
young journalists on climate change and its effects on the environment and the
lives of the people. We believe that journalists can only report accurately
topical issues of global concern when they are better understood.
With the climate change summit to be held in Copenhagen,
Denmark a month later, the conference facilitated the creation of an
organisation of youth groups across the country to converge on a follow-up
conference: “A national consultative
workshop on youth engagement on climate change” on December 3, 2010 and
outlined issues of common concern for The Gambia youth delegation to present at
the summit.
Call on media
chiefs
Since then, the executive and the members of YJAG have
undertaken a series of activities in line with the 2010/11 action plan. The
first being a conducted media tour by the executive aimed at discussing the
plight of young journalists in the print media.
During the tour in January this year, we visited and
discussed with the Managing Editor of Today newspaper, the Publisher and
Proprietor of the Daily News, Managing Editor of Foroyaa newspaper, the
Managing Director of Daily Observer, the Editor-In-Chief of The Voice
newspaper, the Publisher and Proprietor of The Gambia News and Report Magazine,
the Director of The Point, the Managing Director of Digest Publication, and the
Director of Information Services, Gambia Info.
There were calls on media chiefs to provide in-house
trainings for young journalists, increase remunerations of staff; with specific
focus on freelancers in order to enable them deliver in their news rooms as
expected.
All media chiefs promised to pay heed to our call and in fact, we are glad to note that there have been remarkable improvements in some media houses since, but we still urge them to step up efforts in ensuring the welfare of young journalists is well taken care of.
All media chiefs promised to pay heed to our call and in fact, we are glad to note that there have been remarkable improvements in some media houses since, but we still urge them to step up efforts in ensuring the welfare of young journalists is well taken care of.
The reaction we get from them was that YJAG can be a nursery
bed for the proper germination of the seeds of journalism in The Gambia. The
plight of young journalist is an important issue. It is not only about having
the right to express yourself freely, the profession should also earn you a
decent life, we were told.
It was also admitted that young journalists are the life
blood of every newspaper; however, media chiefs lamented the cost of running a
newspaper, saying equipments are expensive and this can cut down earnings.
Nonetheless, they promise to support the association to the fullest.
Training on media
laws
“Understanding Media
Laws in The Gambia”
was the theme of a one-day training programme for Young Journalists organised
by YJAG on February 9, 2010.
The training, funded solely by YJAG and held at the Joint
Officers Mess in Kotu brought together 40 young journalists including affiliate
members of writers clubs in various schools in the country.
It was aimed at building the capacity of our members to
better execute their duties in conformity with the Laws of the land. It also
gave them the opportunity to broaden their horizon on media laws in the country
and not only how to observe these laws but also how to avoid becoming a victim
of these laws apparently designed to stifle press freedom and free expression.
Presentations on the topic were delivered by Dr. Henry
Carrol, Mr Sam Sarr, Managing editor Foroyaa newspaper, and Lawyer Edu Gomez,
now Attorney General and Minister of Justice, who made a pledge of D10, 000 to
YJAG.
It is worth noting that more than one year on, the promise
is still in the pipeline, so for the benefit of our members who think it has
went to the pockets of the executive that is not the case.
Gambia College
press club trains members
With the support of YJAG, The Gambia College
Press Club (GCPC) held a day long training session on “Basic Journalism” for its members in March 2010 at the Brikama
Campus.
The GCPC contacted YJAG to assist in what the club’s president, Mr Ebrima Bah, called the need “to recruit students in the press and build their capacity through training” in order to better enhance their day-to-day work as college press corps.
YJAG delegated three of its executive committee members, Assan Sallah (President), Aminata Sanneh (1st Vice President) and Mamadou Edrisa Njie (2nd Vice President) to present papers on Basic Writing Skills or Techniques in News Writing, Interview Techniques, News Gathering and Code of Ethics.
The GCPC contacted YJAG to assist in what the club’s president, Mr Ebrima Bah, called the need “to recruit students in the press and build their capacity through training” in order to better enhance their day-to-day work as college press corps.
YJAG delegated three of its executive committee members, Assan Sallah (President), Aminata Sanneh (1st Vice President) and Mamadou Edrisa Njie (2nd Vice President) to present papers on Basic Writing Skills or Techniques in News Writing, Interview Techniques, News Gathering and Code of Ethics.
Breaking
provincial boundaries
In May 2010, 20 YJAG members embark on a provincial tour of
the country in a hectic but thrilling journey in which it held series of
meetings with Community Radio Stations and Senior Secondary Schools.
The tour was intended to help young journalists familiarize
themselves with not only their community but the wider parts of the country. It
is widely believed that a good journalist must know his or her community in
order to effectively carrying out his/her duty to inform, educate and
entertain, and must importantly, satisfying the public’s right to know. So YJAG
deem it fit to take to provinces.
The three-day tour took the team to the historical site of
Fort Bullen in Barra, Armitage Senior Secondary and another historical site,
the Underground Slave House in Jangjangbureh with all the mystery surrounding
it, Radio Gambia, Unique FM and Paradise FM (all in Basse), and the Brikamaba Community
Radio Station.
The tour was also meant to expand membership of the
association and its activities by inviting young reporters in various Radio
Stations and would-be reporters from Senior Schools to join YJAG.
Courtesy calls to
government officials
Earlier on, in November 2009, the executive paid a courtesy
call to the Vice President of The Gambia and Minister of Women’s
Affairs, Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy to brief her about the Climate Change Conference
and to seek her office support.
We also brief her on the gains registered by the previous
executive (YJAG) and our 2010/11 Action Plan. She hailed our efforts, promised
to support us whenever the need arises and called on us to continue being
responsible journalists.
The Minister of Forestry, Hon Jatto Sillah also received us
with open arms and contributed immensely to the success of the Climate Change
Conference that was held in November 2009.
In September 2011, we
also visited the Minister of Interior in Banjul,
to update the Minister on our past activities, aims and objectives and Today’s
anniversary. The visit was aimed at fostering mutual understanding between
journalists and the Ministry in charge of internal security in The Gambia. This was also meant to discuss the issue of
safety and security of journalists, especially YJAG Members. The Minister
assured that the harassment of journalists is now history and that his ministry
would do everything possible to maintain the status quo.
Saints press corps
On 18th December 2010,
YJAG facilitate a one-day joint training for the press clubs of St Augustine and St Joseph
Senior Secondary
schools in Banjul.
The training, organised by the two press clubs was intended to introduce
journalism to the students. Various topics were discussed, including news gathering,
news sources, ethics, basic writing skills and society’s misconceptions about
the noble profession.
GPU Triennial
Congress
On June 26, during the triennial congress of The Gambia Press Union,
YJAG Treasures, Haddija Jawara was elected unopposed as GPU Treasurer. Her
election by the general membership of the Union
manifests the trust and confidence bestowed on her as a committed member, who
has served both YJAG and the GPU relentlessly.
The issue of YJAG feared being used to undermine the
activities or existence of the Union was also
raised and dismissed at the GPU Congress.
Allegations by the ex-Secretary General and now President of
the GPU, Bai Emil Touray that “YJAG was seen to be undermining the GPU because
its former executive has written to the West African Journalists Association,
WAJA and the International Federation of Journalists, IFJ seeking affiliation
when they have not done so with the GPU”, were, however refuted by YJAG’s
former President, Nfamara Jawneh, who stressed that he “have never written to
any international body seeking affiliation, and do not know anyone in the
former executive who has done so.”
Once again, YJAG stood by the words of its former president
that “YJAG has never been used, no one has attempted it before and anyone who
does will fail.”
Fundraising
At a time when donors and
philanthropists became rather more cautious on their spending or a little bit
reluctant to support good causes, YJAG thought it timely to embark on a
fundraising exercise. With a July 1, 2011 event yielding close to D9000, meant
to fund other activities in the welfare of our members.
Suspension of Mamadou Edrisa Njie
The GPU on September 8, 2011 took a decision at executive
level to suspend indefinitely, YJAG’s 2nd Vice President, Mr Mamadou
Edrisa Njie, following Mr Njie’s alleged attempted assault on Mr Aloa Ahmed
Alota, the GPU executive director a day earlier at the GPU secretariat in
Bakau.
Mr Njie received a letter confirming his suspension on 13th September, after he spent 24 hours in detention at the Bakau police station. He was also banned from entering the Union’s secretariat, not take part in any GPU related activity. His participation in the GPU/Article19 West Africa - European Union-funded training for journalists on “International Standards on Freedom of Expression” was also revoked by the GPU executive committee.
Mr Njie received a letter confirming his suspension on 13th September, after he spent 24 hours in detention at the Bakau police station. He was also banned from entering the Union’s secretariat, not take part in any GPU related activity. His participation in the GPU/Article19 West Africa - European Union-funded training for journalists on “International Standards on Freedom of Expression” was also revoked by the GPU executive committee.
YJAG was among the many who have urged Mr Alota to withdraw
the case, and it has since been withdrawn, however, YJAG did protest against
the heavy measures handed its member, who happens to be one of the most, if not
the most active member of the union.
Events YJAG
participated
From 8-9 June 2011,
YJAG members, Lamin Jahateh and Haddy Gaye took part in a “Young Gambian Leaders Forum” organised by the American Embassy in Banjul. The event was a
follow-up to the 2010 dialogue between the US
President, Barack Obama and Young African Leaders in the US capital, Washington District of Colombia (DC).
YJAG Treasurer,
Haddija Jawara and Mariatou Jabang also participated in Youth Ambassadors of
Peace (YAP) National Leadership Training Programme and the YAP International Summer Camp in between July and August 2011
respectively.
Mamadou Edrisa Njie
also represented YJAG at the 2011 launch of the National Voluntary Service Scheme, by the Ministry of Trade,
Industry, Employment and Regional Integration. Prior to this, he represented
YJAG at a Youth Leadership Training organised
by the Youth Employment Network (YEN) in April 2011.
Awards
On April 6, 2011,
YJAG members Saikou Jammeh and Binta Bah, Editor-In-Chief and Judicial
Correspondent, were awarded the “Best
Columnist” and “Best Reporter” respectively, by the Daily News management
in recognition of their commitment and hard work, during the 2rd
year anniversary of the paper.
During the 3rd edition of the National Sports
Awards on 2nd June 2011, organised by the Sports Journalists
Association of The Gambia
(SJAG), YJAG’s Amadou Wuyeh Manga was awarded “Broadcaster of the year”
A year earlier (2010), YJAG member, Lamin Drammeh was
awarded “The Best Sports Writer of the
year” by the SJAG.
Most recently, YJAG
trio, Demba Kandeh, Isatou Bittaye and Modou S. Joof were awarded prices for
emerging 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively at the end of the first phase of the
GPU/Article19 West Africa - European Union-funded training for journalists on “International Standards on Freedom of
Expression”
Meetings
We have also been holding executive and general meetings in
which issues of common concern have been raised and we try to deal with them in
a manner that is better for the progress of the association. However, I must
note that in most cases, the turnout looks rather unimpressive because majority
of YJAG members have not been attending.
I am glad to reiterate that Mr. Lamin Manga, the Proprietor
of Unique FM continues to offer YJAG tremendous support by offering us space at
Unique FM in Bakau for us to hold our general body meetings regularly.
Along with all these activities, we have held at intervals,
a number of football matches, one of which was against media chief, aimed at
promoting understanding and cordial relations with our bosses.
Travels and
promotions
Finally, I am glad
to report that quite a good number of our members have improved remarkably in
their news reportage and work generally, earning them promotions to decision
making positions across media platforms in The Gambia.
This is largely due
to the numerous trainings offered locally and internationally in the absence of
a journalism institute, but it is also down to their self-esteem, commitment
and determination to go through the rigours of progress.
Challenges
Gathering funds for
the Association to finance the implementation of its programmes remains the
greatest challenge faced. YJAG continues to fund its activities from the little
funds gathered from humanitarians, its members and fundraising activities.
It was due to the
Association’s financial shortfall that programmes such as (Launch of 1st YJAG Quarterly Newsletter; Training on Ethics
in Journalism and Basic Writing Skills; Training on Elections and Parliamentary
Reporting; Sensitisation of forest management and Tree Planting exercise;
Capacity building on the role of the Media in national development; and
Sensitisation on the new Biometric Voter Registration System) were not
implemented.
Thank you - for
your attention.
Note: YJAG was formed on 16th
September, 2007 with the objective of promoting unity among young journalists
in The Gambia;
provide capacity building and addressing the welfare of its members, among
others. The association is also tasked with the responsibility to facilitate
the recruitment of aspiring journalist into the profession.
With its motto being
“Capacity Building, Duty to Inform”, YJAG is made up of a structure of an 11
Executive member committee, comprising of a President, 2 Vice Presidents, 2
Secretaries, a Treasurer, a Public Relations Officer, an Auditor, and three
co-opted members.
The Association is
also served by a 9 member board of advisers with the Gambia
Press Union and the Minister of Information
being permanent members; others include lawyers, publishers, editors and human
rights activists.
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