First it was the unnatural and unpalatable death of Deyda Hydara of the Point Newspaper and then came the shocking death of Baboucar Gaye of Citizen Radio and Newspaper. This was followed by the death of Sanna ‘Ticks’ Manneh of the Torch Newspaper. Very recently, George Christensen of Radio 1 FM also departed.
The demise of Ebrima Cole, who had been a media practitioner since 1969, is a signal that a whole generation of prominent media practitioners is phasing out.
It is important for the younger generation to prepare themselves for this battle to shape hearts and minds by transmitting to the public the unalloyed truth in good faith and in the public interest.
No society can develop without relevant information which could be converted into relevant knowledge that could be translated into a way of life for the better.
Those who are to inherit the profession should now prepare themselves to be free from mediocrity and parochialness. They should see themselves as opinion leaders who must be far sighted in their thinking and upright in their professional conduct. They should seek to leave a legacy like those before them. Even though some of them had not received the protection of society as they should have, but they will be remembered today for having the courage to give all they had in knowledge and skill, even if some left very little after their death. The media houses they establish and the articles they wrote will thrive behind them. Even though they are now one with the sand, they still exist in the archives of humanity.
It is a noble profession after all. May they be ever remembered for playing their role.
