Cherno,
Pardon me for the delay in my
response.
I am glad you have seen my point and will not
hesitate to commend you for the effort you've taken to clarify yours' and the
Daily Observers' position. The discussion is quite a lesson for me too.
My call for the scrutiny
of the role of the press during the transition period is not directed towards
any one particular paper. I am confident that yourself and many others on this
list will agree with me that the press is a very critical element in the
political awakening of any society. Therefore, it is very important that we look
into the role of the press and pin point the wonderful work they have been and
are continuing to do as well as their blunders and consequences
thereafter.
With that in mind, allow me to change the thesis of
our discussion to that which probes into the role of the press in Gambian
politics before, during and after the transition into a "second
republic."
I hereby invite you and everyone on this list to give
your assessment of the role of the press in Gambian politics during the periods
mentioned above. I am hoping that this will stir up a very interesting
discussion.
Get your fingers to work!
Abdoulie A.
Jallow
"Our lives begin to
end the day we become silent about things that matter".
- Dr. M.
L. King Jr.
Bamba,
It's not simply a matter of
substantiating the 'source' of the
letter/article, that makes it
wothwhile to go to press. It is also when that
source's presence is
attainable for the newspaper, when it lands into legal
pitfalls. That's
why letters to the editor must include the sender's name
and address,
before any publication can take place. Editors need this
information for
legal reasons. True, the source of the information was Ebou
Jallow, but
Jallow was out of reach for the editor, and no way was it
possible to
check the veracity of his allegations at the time.
Dave Manneh is
very right about newspapers printing information, which would
compel the
other party to react, thereby widening the scope of the
newsreport. True,
editors do use this method to bring news to the public,
but it is a
method not applicable to all instances. It was not simply a
question of
throwing Jallow's allegations on the front page, and hope the
affected
party would just react and defend their versions of the story.
Remember
those affected by Jallow's ghastly details, had their
integrities
sullied, and without even a scintilla of evidence to support
such a
newsreport, an editor would squirm in his seat before going to
press on
that. I understand our collective interest to package Jallow's
information
for public consumption. Gambians were in hushed anticipation
for information
about Koro's gruesome death. But it was a difficult
scenario having to
balance your journalistic duty to ferry out
information to the public with
ethics requiring that that information be
true, verifiable and sacrosant to
the national collective.
Let me
reveal this, which I failed to do earlier: I, personally, along
with
Ebrima Ceesay, did want Jallow's letter to go into print. We did
argue our
points to that effect,like all of you are currently doing. But
when it came
to assessing and verifying Jallow's allegations and
measuring up to the
legal consequences, we lost the debate to some senior
editors. You are very
right I and others did write very controversial
stories during the
transition. I personally wrote numerous times on Koro,
and I used my column
to constantly call the government to account.
Needless to say, do you know
the number of threats I received just for
doubting Jammeh's intention, very
early in the transition, to order a
probe into Koro's death? The anonymous
phone calls with vile threats?
True, with God's help, I was able to survive
all this.
In my
opinion, publishing Jallow's allegations would have marked the
highest
point of criticality of newspaper reports in The Gambia. I don't
think we
would have published stories more controversial in scope and
content than
Jallow's allegations, had they went to press. If my memory
serves me right.
I agree with your clarion call to start probing the
Gambian press during the
transition. Journalists are the most
unaccountable people in society; the
only way they can be held
accountable is when their readerships put their
integrities and those of
their stories, to the test.
Your exchanges with me are quite
interesting and educative. You have
compelled me to share my little
knowledge of journalism to others.
Realistically, I am not in the
business of journalism anymore. I am now
carving a new niche in other
areas.
Once again, excuse me for the misundertanding. My presumption
of your
believing Jallow's allegations was not necessarily indicative of
certainty
or believability on your part, about Jallow's account. I wish I
made my self
clearer. And you are at liberty to scrutnize the Observer
and any other
newspaper in The Gambia. That's healthy.
Thanks.
Bye.
Cherno Baba Jallow
Detroit, MI
>From: Bamba Laye
<[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To:
Bamba Laye <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject:
Re: Ebou Jallows' revelations
>Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 09:33:08
-0600
>
>Cherno,
>Thanks for the effort in clarifying. Mr.
Manneh has said most of what I was
>going to write here, but one thing
I would like to get out of the way is
>your presumption of my position
in the whole affair:
>"Presumably, you've already made up your
mind that Jallow's revealations
>are
>true or are verifiable by
his own narration of events. "
> Cherno,
sorry if I sound blunt, but it is damned ludicrous for you to
>think
that I believe Ebous' story just because I challenged
Observers'
>decision not to publish it!
>No wonder you came up
with that decision. Is this how you view critics as a
>competent
professional journalists? When I first read Ebon writings, I had
>my
reservations like many have said in this forum, he was part of them.
Why
>did he wait so long? So, when you mentioned that he did
indeed write a
>similar story few years earlier, I had to reposition
my thoughts about the
>issue, not necessarily accept the story as the
truth. What I am trying
>emphasize is that the people have the right
to read his side of the story
>at a time when they are dying to know,
whether they will buy it or not
>should be left for them to
decide.
> I may not be familiar with
journalistic ethics but I do believe that
>if a letter is sent
to a paper about an issue that had whole country at
>it's laurels and
the source of the letter can be substantiated as you did,
>I do not
see why you can't get away with publishing such a letter by
>clearly
quoting the source if you have pledged to serve the people.
Of
>course I am well aware of the menace you could have gone
through by
>publishing such a letter, but the truth is, you did write
more
>controversial issues at the time and you survived
it!
>
>Perhaps we should start scrutinizing the role of the
press during the
>transition period as some of us are doing with
PDOIS. I bet a lot of
>anomalies would be
unfolded.
>
>Stay safe my brother.
>
>Abdoulie A.
Jallow
>
>"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent
about things that matter".
> - Dr. M. L. King
Jr.
> -----Original
Message-----
> From: Dave Manneh <[log in to unmask]>
>
To: [log in to unmask]
<[log in to unmask]>
>
Date: Monday, December 27, 1999 6:42 AM
>
Subject: Re: Ebou Jallows'
revelations
>
>
> Mr Cherno
Jallow,
> You
wrote:-
> <<And we couldn't either at
the time. Better still, Jallow's
>allegations are
one-sided,
> a narration of events, he
indicated to have been spoon-fed to him by
>those
he
> alleged to have "killed"
Koro.>>
> If
Ebou's allegation/revelations are so ridiculous, and
>unsubstantiable
rubbish,
> why then did the Jammeh regime
seemed it fitting to ban VoiceOut?
>
> I
am no journalist, and have no knowledge of the ethics of this
very
>important and
> noble
profession, but I was, and still am with the notion that if a
>story
is printed in
> paper/media, and is then
refuted by one party or another, then what
>that party
has
> to do is to counter the claim with
proof, in other word prove
it's
>false.
>
> Why were the
involved parties not given these opportunities in
this
>case?
>
> Why didn't you
contact the "other party" and challenge them to
refute
>Ebou's
>
allegations/revelations?
>
> Please
forgive me here, if am out of my depths here, as I stated
>earlier
on
> am not much versed in journalistic ethics
and practices? But one thing
>which
>
comes out crystal clear to me is that your paper's decision not
to
>print
> "the one-sided
story" is truly "amazing" to say the
least.
> It's a bit mind-buggling,
in'it?
>
> All the
best
> Mr
Manneh
> chernob jallow
wrote:
>
>
Bamba,
> I agree with
your feelings. It's sad that Ebou Jallow's
>allegations
couldn't
> get through
to the Ceesay family or the Gambian people. We all
>would
have
> loved to paste
his allegations on our newspapers, but provided
>they could
be
> substantiated by
him or by us, in our own investigations. Jallow
>was
already
> in the
US;there was no way he could be sought to confirm in a
>court of
law,
> the validity of
his allegations. And we couldn't either at the
>time.
Better
> still,
Jallow's allegations are one-sided, a narration of
events,
>he
>
indicated to have been spoon-fed to him by those he alleged to
>have
"killed"
>
Koro. Yes, it would have been nice to the Ceesay family or
the
>Gambian
>
public, to have been told the "circumstances surrounding
Koro's
>death"
>
according to Ebou Jallow. But what if Jallow's allegations turned
>out
false?
>
>
Presumably, you've already made up your mind that
Jallow's
>revealations
are
> true or are
verifiable by his own narration of events. Personally,
>I
think
> that in as
much as Jallow's allegations do give a glint of
>information
from
> within, about
Koro's death, they, however, should be viewed
>carefully.
They
> may be true or
false, but only a competent court of law or a
>commission
of
> inquiry can
authenticate them. And those he alleges to have
>"killed"
Koro
> are
"innocent" until proven guilty in a court of law or by
a
>competent
>
Coroner's inquest. So to publish his allegations, which
were
>one-sided,
>
unsubstantiated, unverifiable at the time, would have been
legally
>costly,
>
if not, dangerous to a newspaper's existence at the
time.
>
>
Recently, Jallow used the "Voiceout" column of the Gambianet
to
>spread his
>
allegations. Now, his information is domestic consumption in
The
>Gambia.
You
> think that if
the Observer had carried his allegations, that
>probably
would
> have
"compelled others with some knowledge of what happened to
>come
forward
> with their
own version?" I doubt it. Quite recently,
Local
>Government
>
Minister Yankuba Touray,whom Jallow alleges to have taken part
in
>Koro's
>
death, villified the former AFPRC spokesman, rather than give
his
>version
of
> the story
pertaining to Jallow's allegations. Following
Jallow's
>information
>
on Voiceout, the proprietors of Gambianet were summoned to the
>NIA,
and
> subsequently,
Voiceout disappeared from Gambianet. Rather than
>speak
on
> Jallow's
allegations and present their own version of the
story,
>Jallow's
>
alleged culprits simply resorted to authoritarianism by clamping
>down
on
> Gambianet. Could
a similar fate have happened to any Gambian
>newspaper
which
> published
Jallow's allegations, especially if there were
no
>substantiation
>
efforts on the part of the newspapers, and during those dark,
lean
>days of
>
press
intimidation?
>
>
Like I said before, newspapers have to be very careful not
to
>publish
>
information they cannot substantiate when asked, in court, or
by
>national
>
public opinion. In as much as we would have loved to render
>service
to the
> Gambian
people by publishing Jallow's letter, we were equally
>restrained
by
> our bounden duty
to publish something verifiable by us or the
>source of
the
>
allegations.
>
>
I, personally, have written a lot in taking the AFPRC government
>to
task for
>
foot-dragging on any investigations into Koro's mysterious
death.
>I
>
interviewed the Ceesay family,and wrote a scathing column on
the
>AFPRC's
>
false pretences of pain and misery over Koro's death, when
they're
>unwilling
>
or unable to mount an inquiry into the late Finance
Minister's
>mysterious
>
death.
>
>
Thanks for your comments.
Bye.
>
> Cherno
Baba Jallow
> Detroit,
MI
>
> >From:
Bamba Laye <[log in to unmask]>
>
>Reply-To: Bamba Laye <[log in to unmask]>
>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Subject: Ebou Jallows'
revelations
>
>Date: Sun, 26 Dec 1999 20:15:00
-0600
>
>
>
>Cherno,
> >You
wrote:
>
>"Upon receipt of Jallow's letter, Daily Observer's
editorial
>board sat
down
> >to
determine the publishability of Jallow's contents on KOro's
>death.
We
> >agreed that
they were serious allegations concerning senior
>members of
the
> >Ruling
Council. And since there was no way to validate
Jallow's
>
>allegations,
>
>we decided not to publish them, but only to put out an
'overview'
>story
on
> >Jallow's
resignation
letter."
>
>
> >This is
quite an interesting revelation from your end Bro. I
am
>curious
>
>(and I am sure many on the list are) to know why your
editorial
>board
>
>decided to discard Ebous' revelations at a time when it
could
>have
served
> >justice
in giving Koros' family and the entire Gambia an idea of
>the
actual
>
>circumstances surrounding Koros' death. Don't you think
that
>publishing
the
> >letter would
have compelled others with some knowledge of what
>happened
to
> >come forward
with their own version? Don't you feel that you've
>done
some
> >disservice
to the people by not publishing the letter or atleast
>hinting
at
> >why you think
the letter should not be
published?
> >I am
also interested in knowing if Foroyaa had a copy of this
>letter
and
> >what have
been done about it with regards to their own
>investigation
into
> >the
matter? I will be glad if Mr. Sallah could clarify this
for
>me.
>
>
> >Have a
great week and stay
safe.
>
>
> >Abdoulie A.
Jallow
>
>
> >"Our
lives begin to end the day we become silent about things
>that
matter".
>
> - Dr. M. L. King
Jr.
>
>
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