The Point newspaper on Monday, September 17,2018 signed a training agreement with The Hague-based Journalists for Justice (JFJ) to build the capacity of its staff to report on transitional justice in The Gambia.
Under the agreement, The Point will host a senior journalist at its newsroom to develop dedicated expertise in comprehensive reporting of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) and related processes. The Point has assigned a dedicated team of four journalists and one editor to collect and present fresh news, analyses and interviews for publication.
Mr. Pap Saine, The Point’s co-publisher said, “I am happy to welcome in our midst fellow African professionals to exchange experiences. It’s a good initiative to have colleagues from other parts of the continent coming to learn and work with us. We, the management of The Point, welcome this initiative for Africans to exchange programmes and skills.”
Mr. Saine, who co-founded The Point with the late Deyda Hydara in December 1991 to advance freedom and democracy, added that the newspaper staff would double their efforts in the field of journalism to attract more Africans to come to The Gambia to share experiences.
The partnership will also enable The Point to receive digital equipment to support the establishment of a specialised human rights desk in the future. Journalists for Justice has been working to expand public conversations on justice in Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mali and Uganda — especially around serious crimes.
“We are excited to partner with The Point in pioneering the creation of a dedicated human rights desk in the newsroom in The Gambia. We hope that other newspapers and media organisations across Africa follow The Point’s lead in prioritising human rights,” said Kwamchetsi Makokha, Journalists for Justice’s Programme Advisor.
This was first published on The Point newspaper.
