Hi Ebrima,
I thought Tiny Rowlands and Robert Maxwell are no longer alive. Just
curious. Cheers.
Momodou
>From: ebrima ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Amadou Samba buys the Daily Observer
>Date: Wed, 26 May 1999 09:28:16 PDT
>
>Gambia L,
>
>It was my wish not to comment, as at now, on the decision taken by Kenneth
>Best, the expelled Liberian-born proprietor of the Observer Company, to
>sell
>the company, including the newspaper, to Amadou Samba, a Gambian
>lawyer-turned entrepreneur, because of two main factors.
>
>Firstly, I am yet to get all the facts concerning the sale. Since the news
>of the sale broke out, I have been trying, without success, to contact
>Kenneth Best in Washington DC, to find out what actually led to his
>decision
>to sell the Company and whether, apart from Amadou Samba, there were other
>bidders.
>
>Secondly, I must confess, at the onset, that while in the Gambia, Amadou
>and
>I have enjoyed what I would describe as a very privileged relationship and,
>consequently, I am at pains to openly question his motives for purchasing
>the the Daily Observer now, even though I am a little bit suspicious, given
>his close links to the Jammeh regime.
>
>It is important for me to point out that my friendly relationship with Mr
>Samba goes back to 1992, when Sierra leonean-born journalist Justice
>Fonanah, now living in the US, and myself were assigned by Kenneth Best,
>then editor-in-chief of the Daily Observer, to cover Amadou Samba's cement
>factory row with Hatib Janneh of JIMPEX Company.
>
>During the peak of the controversy between these two business giants, we
>had several interviews with Mr Samba, during which we found him to be
>enterprising, patriotic, erudite and benevolent. We admired these qualities
>in him and he also admired the fact that during all those interviews he
>gave
>us, we never misrepresented or misquoted him.
>
>It was therefore natural that we became friends. Mr Best himself also
>admired and liked Mr Samba because of his (Samba's) business shrewdness.
>This, in fact, would explain why Kenneth Best would not hesitate to sell
>the
>company to Mr samba.
>
>Having said this, however, it is also clear in my mind that I wouldn't be
>doing justice to my conscience and spirit if I do not express a word of
>caution, in the wake of the sale, regardless of my friendship with the new
>buyer, Mr Samba.
>
>In my view, there is nothing wrong with Mr Best selling the Observer to Mr
>Samba, if Samba has given him the assurances that the newspaper will
>continue to maintain its editorial independence.
>
>And I know that, under normal circumstances, Mr Samba has what it takes, or
>the business acumen, to turn the Observer Company around which, of late,
>has
>been having financial difficulties, and establish the Observer newspaper as
>one of the best papers in Africa.
>
>But given Samba's closeness to the Jammeh government, I would be both naive
>and novice to think or believe that the Observer will continue to maintain
>its editorial independence under the new management. I, for one, would not
>buy that theory. Yes, it was encouraging to hear Mr Samba reassure the
>readers and the staff that the paper would continue to maintain its
>editorial independence.
>
>But for me these are just wishes. The realities are certainly there!!! In
>practical terms, I cannot see the Observer, henceforth, becoming too
>critical of the government, because the hard truth is that Mr Samba also
>has
>business interests/links with the Jammeh government and, therefore, he has
>to ensure that he remains in the good books of Jammeh, so that his
>construction company will continue to receive contracts from the
>government.
>
>Mr Samba , I bet, would not want the Observer newspaper to publish any
>story
>that would jeopardise his business relationship with the government, even
>if
>the story is/was in the public interest.
>
>In fact, given Samba's links to the the Jammeh regime, some are even
>alleging that the government has actually bought the observer company,
>using
>Amadou as a front or a cover. Anyway, time will tell if this is true or
>not.
>But I'll be surprised if this was true, because I have always known Amadou
>as a man of integrity and immense honesty.
>
>To be fair to Mr Samba, if it turns out that he is indeed the true owner of
>the Observer, who would never interfere with the paper's editorial
>independence, then he deserves commendation for investing in the media,
>especially at this point in time.
>
>The militarisation of politics in Africa, today, has certainly jeopardised
>the chances of a free press in the continent and, consequently, there is a
>lack of interest in the media by African entrepreneurs in any investment in
>the media. Investing in the media is considered a risky venture, which in
>all cases, invites the wrath of governments.
>
>So Amadou Samba should be praised for his bold move if the Observer were to
>continue to live up to the expectations of its readers. The last thing the
>observer readers would want, I would have thought, is for the newspaper to
>be transformed into medium that only exist to defend the status quo.
>
>The new management should never allow the Daily Observer to be an extension
>of the executive. Rather, it should allow it to continue to report
>alternative views, or operate as the Fourth Estate.
>
>The new management would have done a great disservice to the country, if
>the
>Observer newspaper was to be transformed into a medium whose sole function
>was to prop up the government of the day.
>
>The paper must ensure, at all times, that whatever it publishes is
>accurate,
>balanced, fair, forthright and up to date, because it is in this way that a
>people determine how much trust and confidence to place in a particular
>media institution, be it a newspaper, radio or television.
>
>Accuracy, fairness, balance objectivity and being up to date are,
>therefore,
>the primary elements readers or listeners look for in a medium. Any medium
>which has these elements will have the confidence of the people, but if
>they
>are not there, that medium can forget it, for it will soon lose its
>patrons!!!
>
>Therefore, if the Daily observer wishes to maintain its readers, it must
>continue to be in the vanguard of truth, justice and fair play, making sure
>that whatever is in the public interest is reported.
>
>Finally, I must say that one sad truth my stay in the UK has confirmed for
>me is that the media all over the world, is held in one way or the other,
>in
>some form of captivity. In Africa, this captivity can be through the hands
>of corrupt and authoritarian regimes, while in the West, the captivity can
>either be through the influence of advertisers, International Finance
>capital, racism, or cultural prejudices.
>
>In the UK, there is, within the newspaper industry, an undeniable
>concentration of ownership, and of the power and influence which that
>bestows, in a few hands. The newspaper industry is dominated by powerful
>figures such as Rupert Murdoch, Tiny Rowlands, Robert Maxwell and Viscount
>Rothermere.
>
>This is almost certainly an important factor in the pronounced right-wing
>skew of the political affiliations of the British papers with the Express,
>Mail, The Star, The Daily Telegraph, Times and The Sun all espousing
>right-wing positions, and only The Guardian (Liberal/Centrist) and the
>Mirror (right-wing labour) reflecting centre or slightly left of centre
>positions.
>
>Anyway, sorry for boring you to death with this piece, and I hope I have
>not
>offended anyone.
>
>Cheers and best wishes to all.
>
>Ebrima Ceesay,
>Birmingham, UK.
>
>PS: Just to inform you that some time ago, my good sister, Ndey Jobarteh,
>and Brother Saiks Samateh, both of whom are on the L, got married. And in
>this regard, a wedding party is slated for this saturday night at the Hall
>in Kilburn, London. Therefore, those members of the Gambia L living in the
>UK are invited to grace the occasion.
>
>
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