Freedom Newspaper (Raleigh, North Carolina)
11 April 2008
editorial
When runaway journalists like Cherno Baba Jallow started making last minute impressions, in a bid to appease the powers that be- it's worth scrutinizing the purpose and tone of his counter productive presentations. Yes, we call his presentations counterproductive. His lies, hypocrisy and double standards cannot go unchallenged. It's too late in the day for our good friend to talk about journalistic ethics, when he is equally guilty of it.
We mean guilty big time.Cherno Baba Jallow is one of the greatest violators of journalistic ethics. Here was a person who used to insult Yahya Jammeh on the Mighty Post and the Gambia L mailing list. Does Chei, as he is fondly called forgot about the degrading and unethical pieces he used to author against Jammeh? What about the caricature images he uses to ridicule Jammeh? Where is the ethical journalism he is laboring on for nothing? Who is an enemy to journalism? Chei or the Freedom Newspaper? Chei sounds like that idiot calls Louis Friend, who was operates under the cover of dark to insult, ridicule and caricature Gambian journalists. Anyone interested in seeing Cheron Baba's unethical pieces against Jammeh should visit the Gambia Post and the GL mailing lists respectively.
We do not need a runaway journalist to give us tutor on journalistic ethics. He Chei got to be clean first before he could command the moral authority to preach decency. This is what we call the kettle calling the pot black. You are not better than the accused.
To cut a long story short, why journalistic ethics now? What have you done over the years to remedy the situation? Why the silence all these years, as rightly pointed out by our APRC good friend Omar Jallow of Raleigh. Omar was right to take you to task on that. Perhaps, he cares only about his weekly paycheck in corporate America, schooling and clubbing. Chei says damn Gambian journalism!! Let journalism wait!!!
If Chei was ethical as he claimed to be, he could have hosted his own online paper, as soon as he steps into the US to continue doing what he was doing back home. Perhaps, his other priorities took precedence over the journalism profession, which he is now posing as its " Imam, priest or leader." True journalists never give up their profession. They stick to their beliefs and principles until death comes. That is what we call a true journalist. You do not preach decency, when you are not clean in the first place. Chei should be the last person to talk about ethical journalism. He is not an ethical journalist!! Let him prove us wrong if he thinks we are lying.
All these attacks directed at online papers, are made out of vengeance, hate, grudge and selfishness. Old guards such as Chei Jallow still cannot reconcile with the fact that their former colleagues are making headway in their quest to educate their people through the internet. All meaningful Gambians appreciate our efforts. Chei's opinion does not represent the silent majority of Gambians. We wish he calls Basse and find about the Freedom Newspaper. He would be amazed to know how Basse residents visit this leading site.
The likes of Chei regrets why they spent such long years in America, without initiating any meaningful project for their people. I was a big journalist in The Gambia, and so what? What have you done for your people to qualify you to be called a journalist? Don't tell me part time writing for heaven shake please!!! Come on Chei!!! You need to get a life and leave the online papers alone. No one is stopping you from setting up an ethical online paper. Go ahead and set up one. Perhaps this is the same Louis Friend blogger crying all these months about standards of Gambian journalism. You can suggest to Jilanka to set up an online Media Commission to regulate the activities of online papers. Perhaps, you can serve as its Chairman since you are an expert on journalistic ethics.
First, they started selling their bombastic words to our audience, but no one seems to be interested. They also bragged about their vocabulary. They call us the online owners uneducated. Now they are talking about ethics? I say ethics my foot. Damn Chei and his journalistic ethics. He must prove to us that he is ethical, before we can grant him any audience. Chei is trying to get attention by making such malicious and irresponsible attacks against online papers. We do not have time for pettiness. Cherno Baba don't worth our attention. The biggest fish is Yahya Jammeh. Go tell your journalistic ethics to the American press and not the Gambian press, because you are out of touch with issues back home. I think you can pick on one of the papers in Detroit and preach journalistic ethics. Perhaps, you are now familiar with the news medium in this country. Not The Gambia??? Don't take this as an insult. It's a statement of fact.
Regarding Minister Sarjo Jallow, his life is not private at all. He is in the public domain. If Sarjo's wife never complained about the story, who is Cherno Baba to make empty noise over it. We refused to be intimidated. We cared less how years of journalistic experience one's possesses. What maters is what you can do for your country, and not how to blackmail your colleagues.
Just for the records, Cherno Baba is not a trained journalist as falsely presented by Omar Jallow. Chei is like any of us. We all learn through the job. He needs to study mass communication in order to qualify to be called a trained journalists. There are few trained journalist in The Gambia, but notwithstanding our journalists are doing pretty good. Gambian journalists are the best in The world. Our country is blessed with dedicated, committed and knowledgeable people.
Runaway journalists should give us a breathe please. We do not need your advise. Take your ethics to the gutters. We shall use breaking news today, tomorrow and day after. Get to hell. Put your journalstic ethics in your damn pockets!! Forward with Freedom, backwards never!!!
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Freedom Newspaper. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
