The Monitor Celebrates 10th Anniversary

| Monday March 1, 2010 00:00

Over the last 10 years Monitor has grown in leaps and bounds.  It has become part of the regular reading diet for many people in Botswana and around the world. The Monitor has contributed immensely to the watchdog role of the press in Botswana. It continues to speak to power, defend the powerless and speak on behalf of the voiceless.

When it was conceived the Monitor was meant to fill the gap that existed at the beginning of the week as the only paper that was available then was the government Daily News. A lot happens over the weekend and it used to go unreported. With the Monitor coming out initially on Tuesday, and now on Monday, stories that break over the weekend can be disseminated to the public immediately.

The Monitor also filled another gap that was occasioned by the local media's neglect of human interest stories. Over the years the Monitor has covered heartrending stories involving our fellow country men and women mired in squalor and destitution either because they are too old or disabled.

Not only has the Monitor brought the plight of such people to the public domain, it has also intervened to make a difference to the lives of these people by involving corporations and non governmental organisations to assist. A case in point is the story that the Monitor has been covering over the last few weeks involving a destitute family in Selebi-Phikwe, which has had the misfortune of being afflicted by both physical and mental disability.

The family could not get the help they were asking for from the City Council, apart from the normal government social grants that are given to the poor. The Monitor has since stepped in and the newspaper is raising funds for the family. We wish to take this opportunity to appeal to corporations and individuals to kindly contribute to the fund.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the newspaper the Monitor has been redesigned as you might have noticed from this copy that you are reading. We have added the definite article 'The' to the masthead so that it reads as The Monitor. The addition of 'The' gives the name of the paper authority and completeness.

The design and packaging of the various pages have also been changed for your aesthetic and reading pleasure. The redesign is in line with modern ways of packaging and communicating news and information through the newspaper. The quality of printing is also of the highest standard.

We wish to thank you, our readers and advertisers, for your valued support. We look forward to continue adding flavour to your week by producing a quality paper at the beginning of every week.