I'd like to suggest we take Tombong up on his proposal. If list members
agree, GRTS sounds like a great place for us to start both for the crucial
role that it plays in reaching the biggest chunk of the population and the
fact that Mr Saidy runs it. As I have said before GRTS is playing a very
destructive role in the way it purports to inform the public. The whole
enterprise is just so blatantly unprofessional that they can't be called a
legitimate information outlet. The reporters come across as propaganda
commissars who make no effort to even appear balanced in the way they present
stories. I have never heard a GRTS story on any issue in which the simple
journalistic ethos of presenting both sides of an issue is observed. The
writing and presentation of even their own skewed broadcasts are so poor that
one can only conclude that GRTS either has no internal standards and
guidelines that can remotely be called professional. Listening to these
reporters is almost akin to having to contend with kindergarten kids
struggling with nursery rhymes. They are flat and amateurish. The overall
programing especially at the TV reflects a galling case of misplaced
priorities. I just don't understand why Mr Saidy flies around the world
buying syndicated shows of soap operas with the very scant resources he has
instead of investing in the training and professionalisation of the small
pool he has at the department to increase their talent to produce better
programming that actually reflect our own realities. With the advent of TV ,
Gambians today have no better understanding of their country's economy,
health, environment or any other public policy isuue. If for example the
director of social security administration decides to donate D50,000 of the
tax payers money to Yahya Jammehs foundation as it was dutifully reported by
GRTS, it is only sensible for the same TV cameras to go to politicians who I
am certain vehemently oppose shifting public funds to a dubious private
foundation and the people are entitled to hearing that opinion in that very
same piece. It simply is the right thing to do. The fairness doctrine is what
underlies the practice of journalism everywhere in the world. If you run GRTS
by hounding and threatening the professionals and living the reporting to
incompetent sychophants, you would just be wasting resources in a vane
attempt to  run what you believe to be an effective propaganda machine. The
public can easily see through all the stuff you try to peddle in a not so
elaborate bid to prop up a regime that is greatly reviled by most of the
people. I would implore you to  at last make an effort to do the right thing.
Try to be professional and cover the news as it is. Organise forums and
invite a cross section of the population to discuss public policy. Stop
trying to ignore the opposition who collectively represent the overwhelming
majority of the people. Bring them into the studio, and cover them on the
road to enable the Gambian people to hear them out.Ask them all the tough
questions you can muster and take them to task but by God let the people hear
and see them. If Yahya or Yankuba are confident of their record in this
country, it is your job to create an enabling environment where they and
their critics can debate those same issues. You have never done what is
called investigative journalism. There is certainly is plenty to investigate.
You have never reached out to the excellent private print reporters and bring
them in to discuss stories they have broken which you choose to ignore. Bring
Dyedah Hydara, Demba Jawo and all the rest and do a round table to review the
news  and inform the people. All of this would just serve to enhance GRTS.
But if you continue to cower down and do the gov't's bidding and willingly
act as eager conduits for lies and misinformation, the greater harm is done
to you and the people in your department. Budding reporters who could
otherwise have been molded into real professionals would find themselves so
compromised that they may not be able fit in a reformed GRTS once a new gov't
takes over. Make a break from the past and set an example with the upcoming
by-elections.Cover the races extensively and be scrucupously fair in the
allocation of airtime. Help all the parties to produce their campaign ads in
your broadcast facilities. Call in your reporters and have them be
professional and improve the writing by having editors look and vet text .
Since you lived in the US try to come as close to being PBS as you can. If
the gov't is chagrined by your attempts to do the right thing and fires you,
it would been the least you can do for a people you have contributed in
inflicting great harm.
Karamba

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