It is often said, “Times fly so fast.” So, it is with The Inquirer newspaper that celebrates 34 years of persistently staying on the Liberian market as one of country’s leading newspapers in post-war Liberia.
The paper was founded January 15, 1991, by a group of Liberian journalists headed by the late T. Max Teah.
Its first Managing Editor was Mr. Gabriel I.H. Williams now residing in the United States. Presently, Mr. J. Grody Dorbor, who was then a senior reporter now serves as one of the paper’s shareholders.
Roger Seton as the first publisher; Gabriel Williams, the first managing editor while Togba Slewion and a team of youthful individuals comprising of Amos Bryant (now a preacher), Bana Sackey, J. Burgess Carter, S. K. Davies, Sam Van Kesselly and Jackson Doe among several others led the paper into rough terrains making it the only newspaper on the newsstand during the heated civil war in the 1990s; and today, the paper can brag that it is the only post-war newspaper in Liberia.
Some of its first staff include: D. Emmanuel Nah, Ignatius Roberts, Hoover Wantu Major, Gregory Stemn, Albert Pyne, Timothy Pyne, Stanley George, among others.
Today the Inquirer Newspaper is celebrating 34 years, with a renewed commitment to acknowledge and to admonish the hard work of those who continue to carry the torch of a daily that has maintained its place among formidable local dailies on the newsstand.
Since its first appearance on the newsstand, the Inquirer has endured several challenges, especially covering and reporting stories during the war in the 1990s, when all factions in the civil conflict targeted any and everybody without distinction.
The paper now operates as a cooperative where the employees are the managers.
“The Inquirer represents a true definition of journalism in Liberia with different styles of reporting, analysis as well as coverage,” the Managing Editor of the paper, C. Winnie Saywah-Jimmy, observed.
The paper started building its image from birth, when the name “Inquirer” was on the lips of everyone, including officials of the Monrovia-based Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU) that was headed by Dr. Amos Sawyer, for its stance on the Interim Government’s activities, and at the same time, reporting stories from behind the lines of Greater Liberia (areas that were controlled by Charles Taylor and his NPFL insurgents).
At that time, any journalist from Monrovia who ventured in Mr. Taylor’s territory, was exposed to mayhem, torture, or death, for he or she was seen as a spy on the operations of Mr. Taylor and his NFPL organization. Yet, reporters of the Inquirer risked their lives to cover places like Buchanan, Gbarnga, Kakata, and as far as Nimba and Grand Gedeh.
Despite these life-threatening challenges, the Inquirer had eyes, ears, and nose for the news and did not shiver to reach to the most difficult areas to get the news, and reported it with clarity and credibility.
For the Inquirer, the definition of good news is that the news must make news, which all sides of the story must be considered impartially, making it accountable, balanced, and credible.
“A journalist must have integrity and maintain his reputation and that of the institution for which he works,” Mr. Wesseh said during one of his informal lectures with us.
On Sunday, January 12, employees of the independent INQUIRER Newspaper gathered at the God is Able Church in Gardnersville to give thanks and praise to God for 43 years of existence as a newspaper.
Their assembly exhibited the level of hard work for which the newspaper has been successful.
“We are grateful to God on whose mercy and grace that we are surviving as an institution and staff. Since the founding of the paper, we have made it a tradition to begin our celebration with a worship service to give thanks and praises to God for blessing us over the years,” the Managing Editor of the paper said. “We owe it to God for the level of cooperation and team spirit we are enjoying from the staff since our appointment in 2023,” she added.
She however thanked the staff for keeping the commitment, a pledge they made following the passing of the paper’s long serving Managing Editor, Philip Wesseh in 2022.
“Many persons, including some of our colleagues in the media had thought that the image of this paper would have died since the passing of Mr. Wesseh. But you, my staff, are standing with me in thick and thin to ensure that we appear on the newsstand each day. I applaud you for your commitment, diligence and hard work during the year under review,” Madam Saywah-Jimmy said.
