Gambia Info director impressed with YJAG

NEWS BANJUL, THE GAMBIA(MB)- Thursday, 28 January 2010, Isatou Davies-Ann commonly known as Aisha, the director of The Gambia Info has expressed satisfaction at the initiative taken by the Young Journalists Association of The Gambia (YJAG) to meet the heads of media institutions and discuss the welfare of their reporters, as well as their mode of operation as far as journalism is concerned in The Gambia.

She made this remarks last Friday when the executive members of YJAG called on her as part of their tour of media institutions in the country. According to Aisha, the journalists in her department are given special attention and their payments and salaries have been increased. She described training as a key issue in the development of journalism, adding that her department has prioritised training for its journalists.

The dynamic Gambia Info director reminded the executive members of YJAG that young journalists should not take journalism as a money making venture, instead they should have a passion for the field and work hard to achieve their objectives. She said the young journalists in the country need to be guided and well-trained. She finally encouraged YJAG to keep up the momentum and advised their members to uphold to the code of ethics of the profession.

Speaking earlier, Assan Sallah, president of YJAG, said the reason for the courtesy call is to discuss with the heads of the media institutions in the country about the welfare of the young journalists in their various media houses. Sallah used the platform to call on the media chiefs to provide in-house training for the young reporters, increase their salaries and organise them in a better way, so as to enable them deliver in their newsrooms as expected.

He said the tour of media institutions is not a familiarisation tour, but rather a platform for discussion with the media chiefs about the welfare of their reporters. He also informed the media chiefs that YJAG has plans to come up with a series of training programmes for its members as part of its 2010 Action Plan and called on the media heads to support so that they can realise their objectives.

Sallah thanked Aisha Davies for her support to her staff especially the young reporters. Speaking earlier, Mamadou Edrissa Njie, YJAGs 2nd vice president, gave a historical background of the Association. He said YJAG was established on September 16th, 2007 with the objective of promoting unity among all young journalists in the country, provide training in the form of capacity building, and address the welfare of young journalists, among others. The organisation, he added, is also tasked with responsibility to facilitate the recruitment of young journalists into the media profession and build capacities for its members. Modou Baldeh of YJAG delivered the vote thanks
Author: By Fatoumata Mbenga, Daily Observer