Posted by Bob Jusu (130.217.76.77) on May 16, 2005 at 00:24:48:
In Reply to: Re: PLEASE TELL ME SIERRA LEONE IS NOT THE MEDIA CAPITAL OF SMALL NATIONS posted by STJ on May 15, 2005 at 22:25:44:
The point is, there is a proliferation of Newspapers by what ever name you call, whether pro or anti. And the truth be told, some of these papers are really a menace to society. Their sole purpose is to harass well-meaning citizens. In Sierra Leone, as one editor recently stated, most of these mushrooM newspapers do not pay their reporters. They tell them to use their identity cards for survival, and what do you expect in a situation like this,you get blackmailed if you remain obstinate to squeeze their hands.
Quite apart from that, the proliferation is as a result of the joblessness in the society. Students leaving college look up to Journalism as the last means of survival when all employment doors refuse to open.And this is a free of charge profession; it does not matter whether one is qualified or not, let alone be competent.With the exception of the daily newspapers namely:Concord Times, Standard Times, Salone Times, Independent Observer, Awoko, Democrat, For Di People, Peep,Tolongbo-New Citizen, The News,the rest are fighting for "han to moth". And don't blame; they are being forced into doing what majority wouldn't have opted to do if there were alternatives.