As the mass resignation saga unfolds Observer management reacts
(Culled from the Daily Observer)
As the wrangling and accusations after the resignation of some members of
the editorial department reached fever pitch,the management of the Observer
Company reacted in a press release to set the records straight. Below is an
excerpt of the press release: Management wishes to confirm that some editors
and staff reporters submitted their letters of resignation on Friday June 15
and management has since acknowledged receipt of their letters with
immediate effect.
The company, under the new management, was restructured and has seven
departments namely: finance, administration, editorial, printing press,
marketing, production and the computer room. The resignation widely
circulated in the local press took place in only one department and not all
the reporters were concerned. The assistant editor, Momodou Musa Touray, the
Sports editor, Lamin Cham, the proof reading editor, Francis Pabai, the head
of education desk , Lamin Jatta; Society Desk, Ibrahim JT Brown; Demba
Sambou, head of provincial desk and Mercy Eze, head of foreign & diplomatic
desk are on the editorial team. Hassoum Ceesay the visiting features editor
is on our team. All our provincial reporters are not affected and are
working on our editorial team.
Management wishes to confirm that all those who resigned were formally
employed by the present management, four staff reporters in January 2001 and
two in February 2001 in acting capacity and another four staff reporters in
April 2001.
There has never been any meeting convened by management to give any
directives on what to publish either now, recently or in the past.
Management however makes a review of the Observer paper periodically that
is, after publication. Observations and suggestions were discussed with the
then acting editor.
In the past four months, management had cause to raise issue with the acting
editor on a number of stories in the paper and in all the cases as a result
of an outcry from the public and other aggrieved parties. These discussions
did not include other editorial staff members and were held in the office of
the managing director. Some of the stories include:
1. A story of a lady who died following her unsuccessful application for a
US visa
2. Owners of the sacred Katchikally crocodile pool stormed our offices
vehemently protesting a lead story by the then acting editor.
3. Story on the Central Bank of The Gambia.
4. Story on Mr Abba Barrow, GPTC.
5. Lead story on GNA soldiers shooting at a motor bike rider at a border
checkpoint.
6. Gambians stranded in Casamance.
7. Gambian businessman (Pa Mendy) wanted in Guinea Bissau.
8. Hijack at the Banjul International Airport
9. Story on fraud by police band commander, Mr Mbye Jobe.
10. Muckraker story - gossip column on Mr Bai Mahtarr Drammeh, Musa Suso and
Ndeneh Faal
11. Lead story on Nayconf delegates being ordered to remove yellow coloured
Western Union caps.
12. Front page story on GIA director of operations, Mr M Jagne's dismissal
as a result of fraud and an audit exercise.
All the above stories have a lot in common - they were baseless, unbalanced,
the sources could not be proven and above all, they were one sided as it was
reported the other parties could not be reached.
Management has never issued a decree to stop stories on Mr Lamin Waa Juwara.
In the words of the then acting editor, Mr Paschal Eze, "I have given
directives to my staff in the editorial department that all stories on Waa
Juwara should be balanced." That is, before publication reporters are
required to get the other version from the other parties whether APRC,
PDOIS, NRP, etc. In fact, this is not new. Management recalls that as early
as September 2000, the then editor-in-Chief did issue a similar instruction
that stories on Waa Juwara would only be published if the reaction of the
parties was sought and obtained.
Management was never afforded the opportunity by any of the reporters who
resigned to discuss the above issues. The acting editor and his
collaborators did not petition, either verbally or in written form, to bring
to our notice the issue of interference in their editorial independence.
Management is of the view that editorial independence is relative. We will
not interfere with any story prior to publication. But after publication,
management reserves the right to review the stories and call the acting
editor's attention on any issue of public or individual concern. This was
not interference. All the above twelve stories could be read and any reader
is free to make his/her fair judgement. Why did the then acting editor and
his collaborators did not resign following management's observations on the
above stories? Why pick on or single out Waa Juwara from of the above?
Management had sufficient proof that the issue was not Waa Juwara. The issue
is providing accurate information and balanced reporting. Management will
not relax their responsibility to society and to individuals and their
families. Editorial independence would not be a prescription for
destabilising families and our cultural values, and editorial independence
should not be a laissez-passez to misinform and polarise Gambian society. We
will adhere and uphold the principle of editorial independence as long as
the reporters carry out their work with impartiality and integrity. At the
moment, the Observer is in court with lawyer Edu Gomez in the name of
editorial independence. Former DIG Jasseh informed management that thanks to
an article in the Daily Observer, he had lost his job and we have put his
family in jeopardy. It was rather unfortunate that a number of stories had
been published without Observer Company's version of the whole incident. All
the same, our doors are still open to anyone who may want to know our own
side of the story. The Gambia Press Union (GPU), the only umbrella
organisation for Gambian journalists, is also there to tell (if contacted )
the emerging facts which emanated from the union's meeting with the Observer
management on Wednesday June 20, 2001.
Management wishes to reassure the Gambian society, the international
community and our colleagues in the press world, that the Daily Observer
will continue to discharge its role as a media tool in the framework of fair
play, accurate information and balanced reporting.
Have a good day and bye 4Now, KB Jobe.
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