Veterans Advice Young Journalists

Young journalists, in pursuit of excellence have gone in search of veteran journalists and reputable citizens to gain knowledge from them. Journalism is all about responsibility and accountability to ensure credibility in their profession. Those they have consulted have given a lot of insight as to how to get them on a good footing in their job. Nfamara Jawneh, the president of the Young Journalists Association gathered the information on what the two veterans taught them at the Gambia Press Union recently as they were gathered to gain from them. In similar line, the young journalists have gone a long way in searching for the young in media work to work assiduously together to achieve their common goal, generated from their quest for a well informed society in the right direction. Read on and see what the journalists had to say.

Mrs.Jainaba Nyang-Njie a former veteran broadcaster and a board member of the Young Journalists Association of the Gambia (YJAG) has advised young journalists in the country to be first informed before informing anyone else. The former veteran broadcaster made these remarks last Saturday at GPU office during the inauguration of YJAG advisory board.

"Before you can inform anybody you have to be informed first and been informed is to seek information, read and ask people, do your research and do your home work," says Mrs.Nyang-Njie. She devised young journalists not to write anything just for their names to appear on newspaper. "When you write what you write it has to be educative, informative and people have to benefit from what you write," she advised.

On ethics of journalism, Madam, Nyang admonished young journalists to be accurate in whatever they write. She further told them to be always objective in their work. "Commitment has to be there and you have to make a lot of sacrifice," she noted.

She advised them to be committed and then make a name for themselves. Take into consideration the good cultural practices that we have in this country. "If you have a story and you lack some facts about it and if you don't have anybody to talk to drop the story," she said.

For his part, Mr. Sam Sarr another veteran journalist cum Editor-in-Chief of Foroyaa Newspaper informed young journalists that everything in life is a challenge. "You have a long way to go, you have many obstacles to come across but if you have the courage, determination and commitment there is no doubt that you can overcome the challenges."

He informed them that journalism is all about conscience.  Mr. Sarr further encouraged young journalists not to write anything just for their papers to have more sales but to make sure what they report is the truth.