Two Gambian journalists, Lamin Cham, a well known sports journalist and Sam Obi, Proprietor of The Daily Express Newspaper, have both recently graduated from the distinguished London School of Journalism in London.
The duo did their postgraduate in General Journalism, and both described the almost one-year course as very successful. "The course was very intensive both in the confines of the chilly classrooms in Central London as well as the exotic field trips across important spots in London. This is not to talk about the encounters with London's famous names and celebrities enabling the students to keep abreast of all aspects of modern Journalism. Besides London is the biggest and undoubtedly the most multi cultural city in the World and studying there is a unique experience," they both commented.
Ask about the future of their individual careers, Cham said exposure to journalism in the corridors of studios and newsrooms in London has re-ignited his passion for freelance journalism with a special liking for producing documentaries and travel writing both for print and electronic media. "Of course my passion for sports reporting remains intact and will remain my strongest point in whatever I do and where ever I go," he said.
As for Sam, who runs The Gambian Daily Express, there is only one imminent agenda on his mind: "I want to celebrate this certificate by ending my bachelorhood in bed and marrying my beautiful Nnake Grace Arinze, the one that adds beauty to my life, my daily sunshine the woman of my life, my dream, my life and my everything," he joyfully said. He also added that Media vision is opening an office in London to run the international arm of the Daily Express which will be an international magazine called XMAG aimed at young Africans in the UK and in Africa with sport, fashion and entertainment. Both thanked their tutors and the School administration for broadening their horizons in the profession and urged them to open to continue to open their doors to other Gambian Journalism students. "Gambian journalists both private and public are doing a fantastic job given the limited exposure and training they get. You will be amazed that even our tutors were surprised at our level of experience and insight into aspects of journalism during our orientation. And all that was achieved through on the job training in The Gambia. So you could see how proud we were among Japanese, British, Russians, Italians, Cypriots, Dutchmen, Americans and other nationalities who make the student population at LSJ," Cham said.
The London School Of Journalism was founded in 1906 and has since grown in reputation as one of the leading schools of journalism creative writing and general journalism. Courses are tenable at its premises in Maida Vale, City Of West Minister in Central London.
