By Francis Tim Mbom
Forty media practitioners Friday, Nov
ember 11, in Limbe, pledged to henceforth improve on the quality of both their writing and professional ethics
"I will strive to ensure the unity of journalists...I will buy and make use of a new dictionary, I will go for more investigative st ories... I shall desist from ever taking money before publishing my story..."
These were some of the promises made by some of the journalists on Friday, November 11, at the end of a two-day seminar that was organised by the Knight International Press Fellowship in collaboration with the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ.
The resolve by journalists to make better their output, was the consequence of some very inspirational lessons on how to improve on the practice given by the resource persons for two days running.
Marilyn Greene, from the Knight International Press Fellowship, her husband, Joseph Junod, Vice President for Customer Programs, Newspaper Division, Gannett, Co., USA and the Executive Secretary of the Society for the Development of the Media in Africa, SODEMA, Charly Ndi Chia were the resource people.
The journalists were treated to, among other things, on how to craft good leads and headlines. "KISS," the journalists were told to always Keep It (leads) Short and Sweet. Marilyn who dwelled on media excellence in the newsroom said among other things that checking for the right spellings of words was always very important. She said, readers most often, get crossed when journalists can't even spell words correctly.
On Media Excellence, Outside the Newsroom, Junod said if newspapers could go for more classified ads, they could certainly improve on their earnings. His discuss was aimed at how individual newspapers could increase their profit margins.
"Newspapers should start moving from receiving ads to selling ads..." Junod was of the opinion that to make more profit, newspapers could employ and deploy staff specialised in scouting for ads, especially classifieds like for lost and found items, latest arrivals in shops, flights schedules, real estate ads and lots more.
Fighting Corruption
Day two of the seminar dwelled in-depth on some techniques of investigative reporting, the public's right to know and how the press could better fight corruption. To better fight corruption, the resource persons said the journalist themselves needed to rid themselves of corrupt practices like accepting money before stories are published or allowing themselves to be used by politicians or their news sources. They advised on the need for journalists to maintain self-discipline and self esteem.
Unity Is Strength
In an earlier discourse by SODEMA's Executive Secretary, Charly Ndi Chia, he said there was a great need for journalists to work in unison. He said journalists would not succeed in their quest for ample press, the fight against corruption and the drive to police their own ranks if they remained disunited.
He urged those who were still working in solitude to endeavour to join the fold of CAMASEJ, the Cameroon Union of Journalists, CUJ, the Cameroon Association of Commonwealth Journalists, CACOJ, and other bodies to be better united in their mission of reporting the world to Cameroon and Cameroon to the world. He said in the days ahead, he would be inviting journalists to sit down and plan how best to achieve press unity and good ethical conduct.
Marilyn's Long Experience
At the opening of the Seminar, the National President of CAMASEJ, Paul Nkemayang, expressed thanks to the American Knight Fellow, Marilyn. He indicated that she was to remain in Cameroon for a three months, to drill the press on skills of promoting the development of free, fair and independent Journalism.
"She has been in the trade for 35 years," Nkemayang said. She can better be described as an encyclopaedic edifice of the profession," he added.
On a further note, the National President said albeit the 1990 Liberty laws guaranteeing press freedom in Cameroon, government has continued to maintain, yet, some road blocks on the press' roads access to information. "Access to information must be guaranteed without road blocks," he said.
SDO Reacts
In reply during the opening, the SDO of Fako, Bernard Okalia Bilai said Cameroon was one of the few countries in the world that enjoys ample press freedom as evident by the press laws of December 19, 1990. He said no "right thinking government" in this era of globalisation would want to deny the press the information, which the society needs for its well being and development.
Okalia added that at his level, his doors have always remained open to journalists.
He thanked CAMASEJ for the cooperation that reigns between his office and the press. He said it was only through such collaboration that the press and the administration could better work towards building a peaceful and more informed society..
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