– Amb. Fu Jijun says @ News Newspaper 30th Anniversary
By Mark N. Mengonfia –mmenginfia@gmail.com
Chinese Ambassador in Liberia, Fu Jijun has recommended his country’s commitments to helping to improve the Liberian media.
Speaking Friday at the 30th anniversary of the New Newspaper, Amb Jijun said as a country they want to see and form part of the building of a strong and vabrant in Liberia. Amb. Fu said: “I am glad that China and Liberia have a fruitful collaboration in the media”.
According to him, since 2008 China has been helping the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) to serve Liberians with installing a new 10 kW transmitter and secondary transmitters throughout the country something he said ha helped to extent the network nationwide.
The envoy indicated that as part of the partnership with the Liberia media, quite a few Liberian friends from the media have worked in the China-Africa Press Exchange Center program.
He said ” every year, there will be some Liberian friends from Ministry of Information and media to go China to attend the training and capacity building seminars for African media officials and journalists”.
The Chinese envoy commenting on the institution’s 30th anniversary said ” it is my pleasure to be at the 30th anniversary Celebration of the News. Please accept my warm congratulation to all the staff members of the The News for your happy 30th birthday”.
At the start of the program making the 30th anniversary of the New Newspaper, the momentum was very cool, but the program was lighted up with cheerful feedings when the Small Town took the stage with their usual song entitled ” we are all Liberians, Liberia is our home” and ended up with a birthday song of one of Liberia’s newsindividualsso got better when Liberian comedian Joseph Bayogar Dean made guest at the program laughed their worries away.
The program was attended by members of the Press Union of Liberia, government officials among others. Also in remakes was PUL President Charles Coffey Jr. who called on media owners to help improve the living conditions of their workers. According to him, in Liberia journalists make far before the work they do.
The PUL bigman who is seeking second term as President of that umbrella organization said media workers too have the right to live a better live. He promised to push the collective backing which will make media owners to have a set and reasonable take home for their workers.
For his part Minister Wilson K. Tarpah who serves as board chairperson of the New Newspaper said that his hope is to make The News an institution that will be envied by other institutions.
During the celebration to informed the gathering that very soon his institution will have a radio station component, something he said will help in the provision of credible information to the Liberian population.
Advising members of the Liberian media, Tarpah said “Do not use this paper to castigate anyone, be objective in your reportage. Answer the four question before publishing any story”. He said it does not make sense to publish information that will create problems for the environment the media is operating in.
“That is share stupidity” Minister Wilson Tarpah added. He was quick to rander an apologue for the use of the word, but publish said those who are in the habit need to ask themselves some basic questions and when the answers are in the negative said story should not be published.
The 30th year of The New Newspaper concluded with the certification of some individuals for their role played in the Liberian society in 2018.
Those honored were President George M.Weah as person person of the year 2018, Peter Quaqua, Champion for Press Freedom, Rep. Samuel G. Korga as Representative of the year. Others are Prof. Wilson K. Tarpah as Public Official of the year, Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson as Lawyer of the year, among others.