Two or three generations of journalists in Tanzania, especially the now thinning out senior reporters and sub-editors of the 1970s, have lost a senior colleague in the passing away of Paschal Baylon Shija, aged slightly above 70 and a veteran of the newspaper scene, the English wing, since the early 1960s.
Several of his close working mates departed the world earlier than himself, and in the past few years he was being reported experiencing health difficulties.
For most other phases in memory he was healthy, rather soft-spoken sub-editor, and also served as managing editor in several newspapers in the 1990s or later.
The late Shija had the best part of his career in the Daily News, earlier known as The Standard or rather Tanganyika Standard, joining the newspaper after having been a seminarian, schooled basically to become a priest, but opting to go elsewhere. He also worked for The Express and The Guardian Newspapers.
Those who knew him for years can comprehend how he reflected that background, tending to see nearly everything as ordinary and thus unlikely to be overly excited by this or that turn of news. It isn’t a sign of lacking interest but rather of respecting authorities.
Quite a few of the plum picks into journalism in the early 1960s, which included seniors like the later national leader Benjamin Mkapa ‘s close colleague and ex-ambassador Ferdinand Ruhinda finished secondary school and joined Nyegezi Social Training Centre for a diploma in journalism.
This little known or unheralded institution, later absorbed into St Augustine University as the University of Dar es Salaam absorbed the Tanzania School of Journalism, set the pace for others in skills formation for the country’s earliest crop of post-independence scribes. It is in many ways unforgettable as a peer institution here.
As many in the field would now admit, those finishing form IV at that period were being regarded in the civil service in like manner as those finishing their first degrees in the past decade, and those finishing high school weren’t different from today’s masters degree holders.
Graduates were rare, if note is taken of the legend that Mwalimu Nyerere and the late Vedasto Kyaruzi (Dr Kyaruzi) were among the very first graduates. Even Makerere University College was in earlier days offering a diploma, and few ventured to go outside East Africa to pursue an education; it was the group that produced top national leaders, etc.
Owing to his quiet manners, the late Shija was more comfortable with the technical work of a journalist rather than with trouble shooting, was never markedly identified with this or that issue of the day, or side of a media debate with political overtones, for most of his career.
While critics in the media and in politics would tend to see such people as ‘playing safe,’ as a matter of fact they weren’t actually ‘playing’ but let others do the gaming, the posturing, the platform expression of bitterness, etc.
They provided the cushions on which others vented their anger or enthusiasm, pushed institutions to exasperation, while unavoidably a sober stratum of journalists remained faithful to leaders of the day, and painlessly.
In a sense the key institution in which the late Shija worked for many years tended to breed this sort of outlook, but more so, relied on individuals of his composure for success, capable of blending with the changing moods at higher government levels without losing focus.
There were others who were either the firebrands or opportunists of specific periods, those who would unveil scandals in parastatal organizations, or a few who wrote revolutionary columns on the searing weaknesses of the ruling party.
Coming to think of those times, it is the latter who occupied imagination of youths and portions of the political leadership, seeking a way out of doubt and soul searching, posing the big questions of vision.
Journalists of orientation like that of the late Shija would opt to narrow down reflection to homely situations, of a real person doing something on a day to day basis, where the problem can be identified for what it is and perhaps a solution, a decision being made.
That has always been a dividing line of journalism, those pursuing visions and those closer to the field, talking to people, enumerating the situations and problems, and often obtaining results.
To radicals the latter looked conservative and the former were patriotic, but decision makers almost always took note of practical inputs in daily papers. It is that sort of toil that makes a journalist, not when he addresses an ideological platform of own making.
For most other phases in memory he was healthy, rather soft-spoken sub-editor, and also served as managing editor in several newspapers in the 1990s or later.
The late Shija had the best part of his career in the Daily News, earlier known as The Standard or rather Tanganyika Standard, joining the newspaper after having been a seminarian, schooled basically to become a priest, but opting to go elsewhere. He also worked for The Express and The Guardian Newspapers.
Those who knew him for years can comprehend how he reflected that background, tending to see nearly everything as ordinary and thus unlikely to be overly excited by this or that turn of news. It isn’t a sign of lacking interest but rather of respecting authorities.
Quite a few of the plum picks into journalism in the early 1960s, which included seniors like the later national leader Benjamin Mkapa ‘s close colleague and ex-ambassador Ferdinand Ruhinda finished secondary school and joined Nyegezi Social Training Centre for a diploma in journalism.
This little known or unheralded institution, later absorbed into St Augustine University as the University of Dar es Salaam absorbed the Tanzania School of Journalism, set the pace for others in skills formation for the country’s earliest crop of post-independence scribes. It is in many ways unforgettable as a peer institution here.
As many in the field would now admit, those finishing form IV at that period were being regarded in the civil service in like manner as those finishing their first degrees in the past decade, and those finishing high school weren’t different from today’s masters degree holders.
Graduates were rare, if note is taken of the legend that Mwalimu Nyerere and the late Vedasto Kyaruzi (Dr Kyaruzi) were among the very first graduates. Even Makerere University College was in earlier days offering a diploma, and few ventured to go outside East Africa to pursue an education; it was the group that produced top national leaders, etc.
Owing to his quiet manners, the late Shija was more comfortable with the technical work of a journalist rather than with trouble shooting, was never markedly identified with this or that issue of the day, or side of a media debate with political overtones, for most of his career.
While critics in the media and in politics would tend to see such people as ‘playing safe,’ as a matter of fact they weren’t actually ‘playing’ but let others do the gaming, the posturing, the platform expression of bitterness, etc.
They provided the cushions on which others vented their anger or enthusiasm, pushed institutions to exasperation, while unavoidably a sober stratum of journalists remained faithful to leaders of the day, and painlessly.
In a sense the key institution in which the late Shija worked for many years tended to breed this sort of outlook, but more so, relied on individuals of his composure for success, capable of blending with the changing moods at higher government levels without losing focus.
There were others who were either the firebrands or opportunists of specific periods, those who would unveil scandals in parastatal organizations, or a few who wrote revolutionary columns on the searing weaknesses of the ruling party.
Coming to think of those times, it is the latter who occupied imagination of youths and portions of the political leadership, seeking a way out of doubt and soul searching, posing the big questions of vision.
Journalists of orientation like that of the late Shija would opt to narrow down reflection to homely situations, of a real person doing something on a day to day basis, where the problem can be identified for what it is and perhaps a solution, a decision being made.
That has always been a dividing line of journalism, those pursuing visions and those closer to the field, talking to people, enumerating the situations and problems, and often obtaining results.
To radicals the latter looked conservative and the former were patriotic, but decision makers almost always took note of practical inputs in daily papers. It is that sort of toil that makes a journalist, not when he addresses an ideological platform of own making.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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