Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
Newswatch newspaper is ten years old. The anniversary celebration took place on Saturday 19 August 2023 at Djeuga Palace Hotel in Yaounde. Media personalities, traditional leaders and government officials gathered around team Newswatch to celebrate a decade full of achievements. The anniversary was placed under the auspices of the Minister of Communication (Mincom), Rene Emmanuel Sadi, who was representated by Mr Metuge Philip, inspector general at Mincom.
“Ten years is not ten days, it’s not ten weeks, it’s not ten months. It becomes more than ten years when it’s in the media sector. Ten years of surviving in the media sector in Cameroon alone is worth celebrating,” Ndi Eugene Ndi, publisher of Newswatch newspaper told reporters during the anniversary celebration.
“That is one of the reasons we are gathered here today.”
The journey of Newswatch in the media landscape however had its own ups and downs, just like any other media organ in the country – at least those that are independent.
“At creation, we had no idea whether or not we would succeed,” Ndi Eugene said adding that “we stumbled and fell but we were never broken”.
For the past 10 years Newswatch had been adapting to the changing times. It had succeeded to acquire a permanent office space and has been able to stay on the news stands. Newswatch was initially about the newspaper, but today it is also about a website, and about it’s social media channels.
By celebrating ten years, the hope is that the new decade will be that to consolidate the achievements, and serve the needs of its virtual audiences more and more.
“The vision is to go daily, to own a building for the media, a printing press among others,” says Ndi Eugene Ndi.
The goal is to continue to provide news, top-notch journalism to Cameroon, fairly and professionally as the media welcomes a new decade.
Recognitions
Highlights during the anniversary celebration was the cutting of the anniversary cake, and the presentation of awards to some institutions and personalities, recognised for their hard work in the country.
Ndi Eugene, in his address on the occasion said “we are celebrating Cameroonians who have been reading and supporting Newswatch in the last ten years”.
One of the awards was presented to ‘Reach Out Cameroon‘ – as the Outstanding Humanitarian Organization of the Year. The NGO was recognised for being active and consistent in supporting persons, especially women, girls and children, affected by the drawn-out armed conflict in the North West and South West regions of the country.
Another organisation, Healthy Information and Technology Awareness (HITA) was recognised for sustained involvement in community mobilisation, for supporting communities and young people with training and startup kits, and sensitizing them on hygiene and sanitation, as well as provide shelter, water and food to IDPs.
At the end of the ceremony, the publisher of Newswatch said “an anniversary is not a date, It is a milestone, a step in a journey”.
