#National News

St. Francis Junior, Senior SS Press Club visits media houses

Mar 21, 2024, 12:26 PM | Article By: Patrick O. Mendy

As part of the familiarisation tour of media outlets in the country, Saint Francis Junior and Senior Secondary School Press Club in Kunkujang Mariama, Kombo South recently paid a day’s tour to four media houses within the Greater Banjul Area.

The visit was meant for these students, who aspire to be journalists, to familiarise themselves with news writing style, reading and presentations. The visit, which was led by Press Club coordinator Mr. Patrick O. Mendy, witnessed the touring delegation visit West Coast Radio, Capital FM, The Point newspaper and Radio Veritas.

At West Coast Radio, the Press Club was briefed on news writing, reading and presentation by Coffee Time Co-presenter, Agie Jacob Khan.

Mrs. Khan encouraged the would-be young journalist to develop a passion for reading, writing and listening to radio programmes especially Coffee Time.

Later, she took the delegation on a conducted tour to the two studios 95.3 and 92.1 FM, respectively.

Later, the Press Club also had a briefing with the Popular radio presenter DJ. Mass, who encouraged students to always listen to his Indian, Malian and old-time music sessions on the radio as they are very educative.

Later, the club proceeded to Capital FM 100.4 in Banjul along Independence Drive where studio Manager Edi Jamanka briefed the students on the history of the radio.

“Capital FM is the only radio in The Gambia operating without a standing antenna. It is operating with a satellite and the transmitter at Abuko.

The next point of stop was at The Point newspaper at the Centenary House at West Field. There, Lamin Gibba, assistant marketing manager, led the students on a tour of different sections at the paper.

He revealed that The Point Newspaper was co-founded on the 16th December, 1991 by the late Deyda Hydara and Pap Saine.

The students had a chat with the veteran journalist Mr. Pap Saine on the ethics of journalism and other issues relating to how one becomes a journalist. The students also met the co-publisher of the Point Newspaper Baba Hydara, son of the assasinated Deyda Hydara, a veteran Gambian journalist.

For his part Mr. Baba Hydara, co-publisher of The Point, informed the visiting delegation about some of the daily works in newspaper production from printing to publication.

Momodou Jawo, an investigation journalist, also explained some of the hardship one undergoes as an investigative journalist in the country.

The students also visited Radio Veritas at Gambia Pastoral Institute (GPI), where Pedro Mendy, the producer of Sunday Magazine programme led the students to the different sections of the radio.