Dibussi Tande: Scribbles from the Den

Summit Magazine Becomes the Magazine to Beat with its Second Issue

After its much publicized and widely-acclaimed maiden issue a couple of months ago, Summit Magazine has confirmed that it is a force to reckon with on the Cameroonian media landscape with its second issue. Unlike the maiden issue which focused exclusively on people, the second issue diversifies considerably with articles on tourist attractions such as village of Bakingili at the foot of Mount Fako and the legendary Menchum falls. It has also a health column written by renowned cardiologist Dr. WallyMuna,and a literary page with a review of Chimamannda Ngozi Adichie's award-winning Half of a Yellow Sun.

Individuals profiled in this issue include CRTV's Adele Mballa Atangana and Louise Mbango of Kappo & Lady B fame, and popular crooner Ottou Marcelin among others.

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.

Against All Odds (A Critical Look at Journalism in Cameroon)

In one of the world’s poorest and most corrupt nations, Marilyn Greene profiles the struggle for good journalism.

Originally published in Knightline International, Winter 2006, pp. 15-21


Cameroon is a country of contradictions.Beautiful but dirty. Rich in resources but poor in wealth. Its people are intelligent but undereducated. They are warm and kind but steeped in corruption and violence. And its journalism is a reflection of it all. Along with normal challenges of competing for stories, meeting deadlines and selling products,Cameroon’s media face obstacles that logically ought to put them out of business. Advertising is a concept that remains largely unexplored. Consequently, few newspapers and broadcast stations are profitable. Many do not even pay their staff.

“A Dream Come True”: Summit Magazine Hits the Stands!

A Most Welcome Addition to the Cameroonian Media Landscape

In the early 1990s, the media landscape in English speaking Cameroon was dominated by a plethora of newspapers which focused primarily, if not entirely, on politics. The exception was Cameroon Life Magazine which dwelt on culture, the arts, and literature and health issues, although it’s main focus was on the fiery politics of the time. Since the demise of CAMLIFE in the mid nineties, there has been an increasing public demand in the Englishspeaking parts of the country for magazines that deal primarily in non-political and human interest issues. For example, a magazine that goes beyond the news headlines to put a human face on the key socio-political actors of the country, and showcases Cameroonians who are excelling in their respective fields of endeavor or making a difference to their communities.

Reporters Without Boarders: 2006 Difficult Year for Cameroonian Press

The French-based press freedom watchdog, Reporters Without Borders has released its 2007 report on the state of press freedom around the world.
 
According to the report, in many African states, "contempt towards journalists and towards the treaties they have signed up to was a constant factor... in 2006". African regimes, says the annual report, "continued to treat journalists with aggressive condescension", while "police and intelligence services, or more generally all those in uniform, took a sly pleasure in physically attacking journalists who displease them."

Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006: Africa a Mixed Bag

Reporters without Boarders has released its Worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2006. Find below parts of the report that focus on the state of press freedom in Africa:

Press freedom is genuine is Benin (23rd), Namibia (26th), Mauritius (32nd), Ghana (34th), Mali (35th), South Africa (44th) and Cape Verde (45th) and comparable to that in Western democracies.

It does not exist or is constantly under attack in Eritrea (166th), Gambia (149th), Somalia (144th), Democratic Republic of Congo (142nd), Zimbabwe (140th) and Equatorial Guinea (137th). The same African countries have featured at the top and bottom of the Index for several years.

Remember World Press Freedom Day

Designed by the World Association of Newspapers