The Diaspora to the Rescue, Cameroonians Online

By Lilian Ndangam (Rhodes Journalism Review, No 26 September 2006)

The story behind The Post newspaper's online presence.

Despite the proliferation of African newspapers online, many newsrooms around the continent still grapple with some difficult questions: How does a newspaper with no access to a computer linked to a modem create and maintain a website?

Why and how do you start publishing online when the print run of your hard copy ranges between 3 000 and 4 000, and your target audience is an urban-based, literate minority? In fact, why bother with online publishing in a country where computer ownership is very low and few people have regular access to the Internet? Enthusiastic about going online, yet challenged by these questions, Cameroon’s The Post– a private bi-weekly, English-language newspaper with a print run of 4 000, found one answer: the Cameroonian Diaspora.

...
Later in 2004, two US-based Cameroonians in the process of creating a multimedia and publishing company for Cameroonian artists and authors who have little or no opportunity to expose their works to a global audience, came to the rescue. Dibussi Tande, who with Emil Mondoa founded Jimbi Media, says: “We realised that we could use weblog technology to quickly create websites that could easily be updated even by people with absolutely no knowledge of web design. We therefore decided that the first phase of the project would be the creation of professionally designed weblogs for selected members of our target audience. Since we happen to be news junkies and were thoroughly disappointed with the initial Post website, our first target was The Post.”
...
The Post’s collaboration between the hard copy as content provider and its US-based site owners as administrator, demonstrates an alternative (even if unconventional) model of publishing online. It simultaneously illustrates how the skills of the Cameroonian diasporic community are being appropriated towards the homeland particularly in the face of poor infrastructure and a lack of skills in website development. Certainly, the constitution of the Digital Diaspora Network for Africa (DDN-A) during the WSIS process as a platform to mobilise the African diaspora’s technological, entrepreneurial and professional expertise and resources in bridging the digital divide epitomises recognition for this form of engagement between the African diasporic community and the homeland.

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Comments

[Nga Adolph]

Never before has the diaspora played a pivotal role in the social,cultural,economic and political spheres of the Homeland than it is doing today.With the advent of the internet and other modern communications systems,those in the diaspora have been able to contribute immensely to the advancement of Cameroon and Africa in general.Reason why stakeholders in Cameroon should consider those in the diaspora not as enemies but as indispensable elements for the development of our societies.

Nga Adolph,
Leuven(Belgium).

[Nga Adolph]

Dear Mr.Dibussi,
Sir,
I can't imagine that nothing has been said on this website about the recent Kenyan plane crash in Cameroon.Considering that many african airlines have been tagged dangerous by the international aeronautics agencies.Please,Mr Dibussi,we expect more from this website.It's strange that such a catastrophy of such a magnitude(all on board perished)and such a distinguished website plays the 'ostrich'.Unbelievable!!!

Nga Adolph,
Leuven(Belgium).

[Ewane]

Mr. Adolph,

Like our good friend Paolo Laurent who angrily and rudely "demands" that this blog comment exclusively on issues related to the Southern Cameroons/anglophone struggle, you are now joining the bandwagon to dictate what stories the blog must cover and when. You expect Dibussi to make an informed analysis of the Kenya airlines tragedy, different from what newspaper organs all over the world are doing,recovery crews have even not collected all the victims and the black box not yet analyzed? I expect my daily newspaper to give tell me about events that happened the previous day; I expect my weekly newspaper to review events of the past week. However, what I expect from any blog, especially a personal blog, is for it to be updated when it is convenient for the blogger, and for the blogger to write about news events when/if he is comfortable to do so. I have never heard before of blogging-by-demand but it seems as if that is what we are demanding here.

Anyway, if Mr. Dibussi wants to give in to your blackmail, he can go ahead and repeat the bare news and usually misinformed analyses found in newspapers and news portals. However, if he wants to write something that will stand the test of time (that is, if this story interests him), I advise him to wait a month or two and give us commentary that is worth the trouble.

I used to think that the reason why most of us loved this particular blog was its ability to move away from the headlines and give us good analysis after the dust had settled on events, but I see some of you now want it to become yet another newspaper endelessly churning out "breaking news", which would be unfortunate.

Please go and read The Post, Le Messager, and the other Cameroonian and foreign newspapers that are giving running reports on this tragedy.

BTW, I will personally not read any article on the airline disaster posted on this site, because I would consider it one written under duress, and I hate any form of blackmail...

[Fritzane Kiki]

Mr Ewane,
The pomposity of your defense and interferance into the question posed to Mr Dibusi is clear.This blog has more or less become more frequently visited by Cameroonians the world over,so I deem it neccessary for Dibussi to update it as often as possible.The Kenyan Airways crash is considered as one of the most tragic catastrophic event in Cameroons history.Why should other media outlets recount something that concern your country.

The journalistic pieces from foreign journalists concerning African events are mostly full of biased and envy,which has a major impact on the African continent in particular.Nothing good comes from Africa according to foreign media except poverty,hunger,earthquakes,civil wars,natural disasters,epidermics,AIDS and other calamities plaguing the African society.But the controversy and reality on the ground is that for the past years we have seen a grose improvement in these domains in some countries.Economic boom,poverty alleviation,improve living standards and other important reconstruction projects have been carried out.

We should accept the fact that the readership percentage of journalistic works is quite low in Cameroon especially online readers who are mostly based in foreign lands.That not withstanding,we should give credence to our home-made journalists rather rely on others for our own predicaments.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Nga Adolph]

Tell him Mr Fritz.Hear him,"...for it to be updated when it is convinient for the blogger,and for the blogger to write about news events when/if he is comfortable to do so".Mr Ewane,a blog like any medium of information or communication(newspaper's,tv etc) are owned by people.As long as an information medium relates public issues,it is automatically a public utility asset.Mr Dibussi might as well have restricted the readership of this blog to a selected group of people(let's say his friends).I came across 'blogospheres'of that nature.You are erroneously trying to insinuate that the readership of this blog have no right to information particularly when it touches on a catastrophy of such a magnitude.Moreso,considering the fact that the catastrophy took place in Cameroon from whence the majority of the readership of this website hail.You even go to the extent of calling a simple demand for information 'blackmail'.This is preposterous.
If you had read what I said with a dint of understanding,you will realise that I was not only making particular reference to the crash but to the general situation prevailing in our aeronautics industry.Which has caused many African airlines to be considered 'flying coffins' by the International Air Transport Association(IATA).A few months ago, the EU banned 92 mainly African airlines and cargo carriers from the european airspace because they fail to meet international safety standards.And you sit back advocating lavish proscratination.Procrastination is the thief of time,Sir.The issue should be addressed while it is still'burning'in a bid to awaken people's consciences on the matter.And not sit and wait when the passage of time has deadened people's sensibilities to the issue.
You advocate for Mr Dibussi to give post mortem analysis of a 'news event'of such a magnitude?Incredulous.I think when we would have learnt not to criticise for the sake of criticism, then we would have made a'Great Leap Forward'.
Ofcourse,Mr Dibussi has the ultimate and unequivocal right to serve information when he deems necessary(he is the owner),but the incident here in question is of a gigantic nature.If he doesn't consider it important to put pen on paper on an issue of this magnitude,then many of us in the diaspora who depend on a plethora of information services for news and analysis(especially on this site),will be a bit disappointed.

Nga Adolph,
Leuven(Belgium).

[ALPHA2OMEGA]

"This weblog is based on DIBUSSI TANDE's personal views on people, places, issues and events in Cameroon, Africa and the world...."
Need I say more? Ok then!

Whoever visits a blog and expects to see whatever piece of news takes their fancy fails to understand the meaning and the technology behind blogging. The mere thought of siting here and explaining the concept of blogging is like pulling teeth to me - besides I risk insulting people's intelligence.
However, if anyone is interested, then why not do some research. Once they are a bit more knowledgible, they can perhaps create a blog of their own, explaining to the non too wise what a blog is.
This will, if nothing else, alleviate the pain and heartache you might endure when you visit an "INDIVIDUAL'S" blog and don't see whatever YOU expect to see.
I for one come on this blog because I usually find interesting bits and pieces to satisfy my thirst for knowledge. What i don't find here I look somewhere else. I certainly will not hold the ownwer of a blog to task if they do not inform me about something I feel I want to know - that is not their responsibility. That responsibility rest with me as an individual and this gigantic ubiquitous phenomenon referred to as the Internet. The WWW is also at your disposal.
Lest i waste your and my time, the point I am trying to make is this, a blog is more personal - I have a friend whose blog is full of pictures of her baby from the day she was born to present. I certainly wouldn't go there if I am not prepared to take on board whatever she has to offer - her flavour in manner of speaking.
The WWW is much less personal and contains all sorts of things, including the NEWS - if anyone is interested I am sure they can easy find a website with all the news they are looking for.
Oh! how do you find these news I here you query? Well funny you should ask because there is this wonderfull technology called search engines - google.com is one of them.
And when you do find this news, do be gracious enough to maybe create a blog of it so others can benefit from YOUR knowledge.
CHEERS