This week Watani International embarks on its ninth year in the press. It seems but a blimp in time compared to Watani’s 50 years in that field, celebrated so graciously last year. But work in the press is, in essence, the same no matter what language you write in. The following contemplation, written by a person who has been with Watani for the past 25 years, thus appears particularly apt.
Browsing through the volumes of Watani issued in the past 50 years, especially the earlier ones, gave birth to a number of emotions. I discovered that if I wish to match those who preceded me, writing with such experience and creativity, I must remain vigorous in my profession as a journalist, and I must work with dynamism, enthusiasm and perseverance. I must not allow myself to wallow in laziness and apathy.
Watani
’s contributors have been many and varied, but throughout 50 years their articles have pivoted on a single theme: that triumph will always weigh in on the side of truth and justice. Even in an era where we have become used to sleeping and waking up to news of rampant corruption, the paradigm remains valid.
The newspaper’s columnists aimed directly for their target, condemning the corrupt and fighting the fight without prior calculation of any wins or losses. Those writers who preceded us, and with whom we worked or connected with through their articles in Watani, only ever aspired to inform the public of reality, truth and knowledge. So I came to understand that it is essential for me, as a journalist, to be continuously dynamic while never compromising on values.
