EDITORIAL NATAL @ 16—OUR HEARTS WITH LIBERIA LIKE KING SOLOMON of Bible times, many opine that age doesn’t matter--necessarily. They exalt wisdom as the moral cloud that must be cherished over the number of birth anniversaries one has acquired, and celebrated. True. But age is the basic centerpiece of knowledge. In fact, it is a basic barometer by which one’s worth or merit is measured. That is why an elder receives more censure when he errs than the young. Like a fine metal or diamond that gets its purity or refinement by hearth or fire, man’s true caliber arrives from life’s journey--age. AT DECADE AND six, The Analyst stands on the judgment seat of the public--both Liberian and international readerships--since we run print and online editions. But whatever is in the figment of any reader, our age which clicked at 16, has not only been a checkered existence but also a grandiose hope for formidability on the media landscape of this country. The Analyst, fondly called the Nation’s Most Analytical Newspaper, was born on the island of tumult, sailed on turbulent seas even before it celebrated its third anniversary. TODAY, AS WE quietly observe the passing of our 16th Anniversary, we do so with deep, sober reflection not only of the checkered past, an eager eye on the current trends of the national business and a high determination to enter the future with greater dedication, but also with heavy heart as the nation endures the hurt and carnage that Ebola virus has inflicted upon this country. Amid it all, we can assure our many readers and admirers that we will not walk alone, just as we usually been, but invokes God’s healing mercy on the nation and its neighbors also suffering similar health emergency situation. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE gracious partnership we have had with the Liberian people--their trust, support and counsel--without which we certainly would have joined dozens of our compatriots who only flashed on the horizon and withered away. This is why our hearts are broken at this time of health emergency because these partners—national and international—with whom we should have shared our joy and celebration are irked and beleaguered by a pandemic not showing any sign of receding. AS WE TODAY celebrate because with the blurred beam of light we see from the shores of media freedom in this country, and an ultimate defeat and end of the Ebola conflagration over this nation, may True God of our Fathers guide us prevail over the challenges of the nation. In line with our mission to inform, educate and entertain--to trumpet the voice of the commoners--we promise to do all within our power and limited resources to continue and widen our campaign of information and awareness and enlightening on the Ebola virus. This is the vocation for which we were born and for which in difficult political times we were deeply bruised and crucified. DURING THE OVER decade and half of existence, we endure calamities. Our offices were summarily shut down and our equipment seized several times without warrant. We were called all kinds of names: agent provocateurs; enemies of government; paid agents; rebel accomplices, etc. Most of our staff including the Publisher/Managing Editor, were rounded up and thrown in common jail on mere police suspicion. In all of these, we were like sheep being taken to the slaughterhouse. AT 16, WE forget not that the public, particularly our loyal readers who constitute the bulwark and fortress around which our triumph is anchored. When we were only eight page, one-time and later three-time weekly and logistics-starving, it was the encouragement of readers, the prayers of well-wishers and little nickels and dimes of admirers that fastened the buckles that kept us in grips on the newsstand. Moreover, in the face of adversity--when the political regime under which we rose to the newsstand regarded and treated us like a sworn armed adversary, we depended upon the public, second to God the Almighty, to hummock us out of danger and console us, and even to fight our case when physically and psychologically preyed upon. THOUGH THE SIRLEAF Administration is yet to prove itself akin to the regimes of the dark days of the past when the Liberian media, specifically The Analyst, hungered for free expression and free press, we are not basked in the illusion of final freedom to slack the bond of camaraderie with the public. On this 16th Anniversary, therefore, we solemnly renew our covenant with the people of this country for whom, after all, we got our birth, and for whom we have become willing preys of official lashes. The journey we have embarked upon is timeless and regimeless. As we said in our maiden editorial, the mindset and conviction that drove our rise on the media terrain is to serve and keep the public trust, to support and ally with those who strive to build a better Liberia based on the pillars of freedom, justice, equality and patriotism. IN OUR CELEBRATION today, we are not consumed by the euphoria of ululation and joy of the day, nor are we amused and carried away by the so-called improved media environment. We shall remain a vanguard of the voiceless ordinary people of Liberia. We shall remain a paragon of professionalism, objectivity and instrument of peace and development. We shall never waver in the face of intimidation even with guns at our chest. This is exactly why we celebrate today; because we stood the test of time in the darkest of days because God, our Great Benefactor and the people of Liberia, our cherished constituents, were with us. WE SALUTE AND THANK you all for your support and pray that our nation will triumph over Ebola and all the advertises of recent times. God bless.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 04:56:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015