Autobiographical works of Panwhanpen

Curriculum Vitae

I: PERSONAL DATA

NAME : BILL K. JARKLOH

DATE OF BIRTH : 27 NOVEMBER 1964

PLACE OF BIRTH : PANWHAN TOWN, SANQUIN /SINOE COUNTY

MARITAL STATUS : DIVORCED

RELIGION : CHRISTAINITY (MORMONISN)

HOBBIES : READING, SWIMMING AND MOVIES


II: Educational Background

• CANDIDATE (GRADUATING SENIOR), BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MASS COMMUNICATION (EMPHASIS ON BROADCASTING WITH SOCIOLOGY MINOR) DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION AT UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA, CAPITOL HILL (2004 - UP-TO-DATE)

BASIC TRAINING ACTIVITIES: Reading courses in news gathering and new writing; interview techniques and reportorial responsibilities; elements of news and ethical responsibilities of a good journalist; opinions and editorial writing; photo journalism and map reading; effective public relations and public affairs reportage and responsibilities of a Public Relations and Public Affairs Officers; Mass Communication, its origin and basic communication theories; the social responsibility of journalists and developmental reportage; international relations in mass communication; basic tenet of Radio and Television Production; Media Law and Ethics; and a Thesis. These courses highlight theories and practical.


• CERTIFICATE OF MASS COMMUNICATION IN PRINT JOURNALISM (COMPRESSED REGULAR DEGREE COURSES FOR WORKING JOURNALISTS) DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA, CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA – LIBERIA (1989-990)

BASIC TRAINING ACTIVITIES: Read courses in news gathering and new writing; interview techniques and reportorial responsibilities; elements of news and ethical responsibilities of a good journalist; Media Law and Ethics; opinions and editorial writing; photo journalism and map reading; effective public relations and public affairs reportage and responsibilities of a Public Relations and Public Affairs Officers; Mass Communication, its origin and basic communication theories; the social responsibility of journalists and developmental reportage amongst others. Note that thesis writing was not required under the Certificate Program of the Mass Communication Courts at the University. In stead of Thesis, one was assigned at another media for evaluation (internship) by that media house with report made to the Department of Mass Communication to qualify candidate for completion.

• HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA & CERTIFICATED/ TWE HIGH SCHOOL NEW KRUTOWN, BUSHROD ISLAND MONROVIA-LIBERIA (1984-86)

BASIC TRAINING ACTIVITIES: Read basic secondary school senior high school curriculum which include basics of Mathematics; English Grammar; English and African Literatures; Social Studies – History and Geography; Biology, Chemistry and Physics and Economics.

•JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CERTIFICATE
SINOE HIGH SCHOOL, GREENVILLE CITY
SINOE COUNTY, LIBERIA(1981-1983)

BASIC TRAINING ACTIVITIES: Read basic junior secondary school or junior high school curriculum which include basics of Mathematics; English Grammar; English and African Literatures; Social Studies – History and Geography; Biology, Chemistry and Physics and Economics.


III: OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

•2007 (Dec 13-15) : Benefited from a three-day regional
Workshop on ICT Issues under the auspices of Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA). The workshop discussed blogging, the citizen journalism versus professional journalism: advantages and disadvantages as well as the legal problems associating with weblogging and anonymity in the use of internet in information society especially within the regional context –using Senegal the host country of the workshop as a case study amongst others. At the end of the workshop, I developed and acquired the skill of setting up weblogs and development more interest in ICT issues.

•2000 : CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION/ AGRICULTURE
REPORTING WORKSHOP -Sponsored by Liberian Institute of Journalism (LIJ). Highlights include a month-long basic agricultural reportage relating journalistic rudiments to agricultural reportage; highlighted different of species of rice and cassava, animal husbandry and different kinds of farming. What to look for and what not to look for in covering agricultural stories from the fields as well as fishery.

•FEBRUARY 07-19, 1999: CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION/A
workshop highlighting the overview of judicial process in the U. S. and Liberia organized by the united states information service in collaboration with the press union of Liberia.

•APRIL 24-MAY 24, 1999: CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT/JUDICIAL TRAINING FOR LIBERIAN JOURNALISTS -Sponsored by USAID, center for democratic empowerment (CEDE) and carter center through the press union of Liberia; extensively discussed the criminal justice system, prison conditions, rights of detainees and convicts, the limitation of the police; structure of the Liberian judiciary compared with the system of the united states; the role of the supreme court; contempt charge - whether it can be challenged or not and reporting of crimes.

•July 1-2, 1999 : CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION
Media workshop on Judicial Coverage with emphasis on Criminal Contempt; administered by carter center & press union of Liberia at the auditorium of the University of Liberia.

•APRIL 29-MAY 1, 1997: CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION/MEDIA COVERAGE OF ELECTIONS; highlighted basic electoral laws, what is required of a journalist at pooling center; pre-electoral reportage and coverage of political parties’ activities. Sponsored by UNDP and Media-2000 Inc.

•4TH FEBRUARY 1994: CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT/A two weeks
Editors’ workshop that highlighted basic news philosophies in making sound news judgment; it discussed basic logics and news editing.

•1989: CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE (USIS LIBRARY
AUDITORIUM) Ashmun Street, Monrovia ( January-March, 1989 - three month refresher course administered under the sponsorship of the united states embassy information service (USIS) in collaboration with the press union of Liberia (PUL). workshop highlighted training in basic news gathering and new writing techniques; elements of writing lead of a story and headlining; basic interview techniques and reportorial duties; elements of news and ethical responsibilities of a good journalist; media law and ethics; opinions and editorial writing; photo journalism and map reading; effective public relations and public affairs reportage and responsibilities of a public relations and public affairs officers; mass communication, its origin and basic communication theories; the social responsibility of journalists and developmental reportage amongst others.

IV: WORK EXPERIENCE

•EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR INFORMATION
EMBASSY OF GHANA
(2005- TO DATE)

DUTIES: Prepared daily news summary of local dailies for briefing for the Ambassador; served as liaison between the Embassy and the Public; collect information from external sources for use and benefits of the Embassy where ambassadorial and diplomatic interests involved; go on errands for the Embassy; write diplomatic notes, signed and dispatch them based on authorization from the Head of Chancery; write press releases for the Embassy and prepared press conferences for Ambassador; published a quarterly newsletter for the Embassy and executed any other executive or public affairs assignment designated to implement. P

.CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
NEW VISION (LIBERIA) NEWSPAPER
(2007 - Present)
DUTIES: Performs regular editorial services including editing scripts of reporters, writing columns and opinions, managing the newsroom at free hours from Ghana Embassy Work.

.CORRESPONDENT
FrontPageAfrica.com (online US based) magazine
(2007-TODATE)
Duties: do photographic and news gathering for the frontpageafrica as the Monrovia correspondent. I do this at my free time while out of job from the Ghana Embassy. Conduct interviews, developed scripts and email them sometimes with photos to the editor@frontpageafrica.com

•COPY EDITOR
THE ANALYST NEWSPAPER
www.analystliberia.com
(2004-2005)
DUTIES: Strategize in collaboration with the News editor and the subeditor to improve news contents of the paper; Coordinate and supervise activities of reporters; strategize along with editorial Assigned reporters to beats; received stories from reporters and subeditor, edited them and forwarded them to Editor for selection or placement for publication; write opinions, including features, editorials and commentaries for the paper; negotiated and arranged interviews with executives of companies, newsmakers in public and diplomatic arenas, conducted the interviews and wrote scripts including news analyses; executed any other assigned editorial duties delegated to me by my bosses.

•FEATURE WRITER (EDITOR)
THE NEWS NEWSPAPER
(2000-2004)

DUTIES: Wrote opinions, such as features, editorials and commentaries for the newspaper; received and edited features and commentaries from outside for publication; helped to edit other materials as passed onto my desk by my superiors.

•ACTING NEWS EDITOR
THE NEWS NEWSPAPER
(2001-2004)

DUTIES: Restructured correspondents’ reports from various counties; rewrote press releases issued to The NEWS for publication; edited scripts (stories) from reporters and forward them to the Editor in Chief; coordinate activities in the newsroom – i.e. ensure logistics supplies, per diems, functional beats for reporter; assigned reporters to follow-up unfinished news businesses; held meetings with reporters to discuss direction of weekly news contents of the paper and lapses in previous week to device strategy of correction. These duties were executed in addition to the duties of the feature writer.

•JUDICIAL CORRESPONDENT
THE INQUIRER NEWSPAPER
(1997-2000)

DUTIES: Covered the criminal Justice System in Liberia – the courts, the police stations, the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, NSA and NBI respectively; covered and reported the famous treason trial involving some 18 Krahns and Mandingoes accused by the Charles Taylor regime of plotting to overthrow the government (1997-199); did other investigative reporting on a case by case basis. Also assigned, in addition to covering the criminal justice system, to cover and report from the National Legislature. I later made political desk editor.

•ORGANIZING PARTNER AND FOUNDING NEWS EDITOR
THE POST NEWSPAPER (DEFUNCT -1996-1997)

DUTIES: Restructured correspondents’ reports; rewrote press releases issued to The NEWS for publication; edited scripts (stories) from reporters and forward them to the Editor in Chief; coordinate activities in the newsroom – i.e. ensure logistics supplies, per diems, functional beats for reporter; assigned reporters to follow-up unfinished news businesses; held meetings with reporters to discuss direction of weekly news contents of the paper and lapses in previous week to device strategy of correction in addition to helping to write opinions such as features, editorials and commentary. Besides, I attended Board Meetings to decide welfare of management. These duties were executed. I was later made Editor prior to my resignation for another job for personal reason.

•FREELANCE JOURNALIST
(1994-1996)

ENGAGEMENTS: I always strive to be the first on scenes of breaking news so that I will the opportunity to get full story and supply news institutions. Investigate issues and situations exclusively and supply news media institutions scripts of findings of investigations; Commented on critical national issues through guest editorials, commentaries and features. Attend press conferences and supplied absentee media institutions stories from those press conferences. Did other things that could enable me practice professional journalism as a self-employed journalists.

•SENIOR REPORTER
THE EYE NEWSPAPER (DEFUNCT)
1992-1994

DUTIES: Organized reporters for meeting with News Editor or Editorial Board; collected news story scripts from reporters and did first time editing; put forward grievances of reporters to management for redress; giving some roving assignments to cover press conferences, proxied for beat reporters to cover new-making events whenever they are attending other assignments; exercised other reportorial duties assigned to me by my bosses.

•SENIOR REPORTER
TORCHLIGHT NEWSPAPER & CRESCENT MAGAZINE(defunct)
(1990-1992)

DUTIES: Organized reporters for meeting with News Editor or Editorial Board; collected news story scripts from reporters and did first time editing; put forward grievances of reporters to management for redress; giving some roving assignments to cover press conferences, proxied for beat reporters to cover new-making events whenever they are attending other assignments; exercised other reportorial duties assigned to me by my bosses. Besides, I was sent frontline to cover engagements of belligerent forces under the protection of the ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG); Cover the Capture of Tubmanburg in Bomi County and Poor River Bridge in Montserrado County by forces of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia (ULIMO) under the Commend of General Prince Seo from the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) of Major Charles Ghankay Taylor. Covered the battle for Caldwell between General Prince Johnson’s Independent National Patriotic Front (INPFL) and Charles Taylor’s NPFL co-name “Octopus,” at the end of which battle ECOMOG shielded Prince Johnson away to Nigeria and the INPFL was forced to dissolve.

•SENIOR REPORTER, THE LIBERIAN POST NEWSPAPER (defunct)
(1988-1990)

DUTIES: Besides assisting to edit scripts forwarded to editors for publication, I Organized reporters for meeting with News Editor or Editorial Board; collected news story scripts from reporters and did first time editing; put forward grievances of reporters to management for redress; giving some roving assignments to cover press conferences, proxied for beat reporters to cover new-making events whenever they are attending other assignments; exercised other reportorial duties assigned to me by my bosses.




•CUB-REPORTER TO SENIOR REPORTER, THE MIRROR NEWSPAPER(defunct)
(1985-1988)

DUTIES: As cub-reporter, I started rewriting press release, covering church and school programs. When I rose to the rank of reporter, I was assigned to cover the National Legislature from where I reported Legislative sessions and other programs. Latter, I was assigned at the Court and the Liberia Electricity Cooperation (LEC) as my beats. I was therefore given the task making me responsible to cover activities at the courts, the police and the LEC. 1987, I was appointed senior reporter, responsible to coordinate reporters in the newsroom, receive scripts from them for editing by the news editor, sent on roving assignments such as breaking news events and/or press conferences where the beat reporter was not available. Ensure that the welfare of reporters was always sought by management – becoming obvious spokesman for the reporters.

V: OTHERS

2001 : Travel to the United States of America under sponsorship of State Department on the International Visitor’s Program; Did sight seeing of United States Infrastructures including cultural and historic buildings; attended training sessions conducted at intervals in Washington D. C.; New York, Florida and DeMoins in IOWA in investigative journalism and judicial reporting; explore the criminal justice systems of Liberia and the USA in a bid to know their commonalities and differences.

VI: TRAVELS
Travel to the United States, Paris, Brussels, Ivory Coast, and Senegal


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The Journey of Life: My Perfect Example A Lesson(A brief Auto Biography By Bill K. Jarkloh)

A Liberian of the Kru tribe of that country, my journalism career has made me a very curious person whose curiosity has made me to know a lot of things by practical experience and skills practice and applied professionally. For instance, driving and moving earth equipment such as caterpillars, tractors and light vehicles was not something that I formally learned from people or institutions. What this should mean is to tell of the fact that education is not only in the classroom, but it is a process of know and gaining new ideas through human determination and applied skills. This was exactly how I went through life to reach to the medium height that I find myself today, as a career journalist and Information Officer of a foreign mission. However, it is a know fact that every journey through which life is acquired is not an easy one as one may see in my case.

Born unto the Union of Mr. Johnson Weah Jarkloh (a fisherman and sailor) and Madam Anna Jlopleh-Jarkloh (a farmer) on November 27, 1964, I started my academic sojourn at the Panwhan Public School and went through the doors of Sanquin Jr. High School and Sinoe High School where I completed my Junior High (Jr. Secondary) School education. The fourth of seven children – five boys and two girls now - scattered around Europe and Africa, this third boy of my illiterate parents was really born in a remote village [Panwhan Town], Sanquin Municipality which later becomes a district in the Southeast, Sinoe County to be précised. Upon the death of my dad in 1983, Bill left the Sinoe High School in Greenville City and went to Monrovia, the Capitol City of Liberia, to continue his education.

Meanwhile, He was a cameraman while going to school in Greenville, owing to the fact that he has no source of support as his poor parents were far away in the remotest part of the County – Sinoe. Greenville is the Capitol City. Consequently, Bill was working for one Jonah Tifueh, a brother of his friends Emmanuel Shine and the late William Butch, whose mother’s generosity caused him to live with the family eventually. It was at this time that Jonah asked Bill to take his camera around, promising him five Liberian dollars on every pack film used. It was a quick service camera which I carried around nightclubs, entertainment centers and school campuses to ensure that I make life possible and gain something with which I would pay my school fees and contributed to class activities. That I did - and it worked well - until 1983 when I found myself in Monrovia as a result the death of my dad.

My coming Monrovia was painful. I felt for my dear mother, whose companion was my dad. Amid adversities, my mom was busy on the farm while my dad was on the sea – all struggling to sustain the younger ones. But the death of my dad left my mom vulnerable as all of us who used to help her farm and fetch fish were all away from them, except for the last two brothers – Rudolph (now in Ghana) and Justine now in Monrovia. Besides, my dad sometimes could take to Greenville by Canoe, produces of the farming they did at home, sold them to complement efforts at schooling. So his death pierced my heart and I decided to return home to my mom to help her. By this time I have promoted to the 10th grade at the Sinoe High School.

But my mom wanted all her children educated. The genius who is the second of us the brothers and sisters, Joseph N. Jarkloh was already in Russian at the Odessa Polytechnic Institute pursuing a Masters of Science Degree in Radio and Electronic Engineering; Morris Karpeh Jarkloh, now a Methodist Cleric with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology (BTh.) was teaching a local Junior High School, Martha M. Jarkloh, the third of my parents children was in Monrovia pursuing a high school diploma (she now works with the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization) and I the next in line was now back home, joining Rudolph J. Jarkloh and Justin J. Jarkloh – all kids at the time – to be with our mom fro her help and comfort. Tina G. Jarkloh, who next to me, was already in Monrovia with our aunt, although she hadn’t started school. But our mom did not like her children to be unlettered like her and dad; she begged me to go Monrovia to her sister, Klaplah-dee to continue my school. When I was insisting to stay and help her farm, she said: “Your future is bright, I can see. You will be a blessing to us when you. Let me pour this my mother blessing: Your suffering is limited. Jobs will look for you and no enemy of yours shall succeed – for the God I serve says to me that your enemies are your footstool.” She then sipped the cup and poured the water on my back from her mouth. I then agree to take the challenge of life.

When I cam to Monrovia, Aunt Klaplah-dee said she could not afford to send me to school. “Not everyone in the family can know book. Some of your friends are at the Freeport throwing bags of rice to make life for their people,” se said in an apparent thought of making me a bread winner for Tina and I who were now under her roof along with her biological children and grand children. But I insisted on schooling. I went to the Duala Market in Monrovia –this market was within the proximity of my locality. I totted loads of marketers from cars to - selling tables for dims, nickels and at most quarters of a dollar. The aggregated collection was used towards my entrance at the D, Tweh High School in 1984, and I was able to matriculate at the school.

At D. Twe I started my journalism career as an amateur. Named News Editor for Voice of the Atlantic, the press club of the school, I served as the newscaster, representative the press club to the Student RECORDER Newspaper on which all schools of the time had representations. When General Thomas Quiwonkpa’s attempt to overthrow the Samuel Doe Government failed in 1985 when I was an eleven grad student, I was one of those called to active national journalism by the Ministry of Information. For me, that was the beginning of the blessing my mom told me of. The MIRROR Newspaper I was seconded by the Ministry trained me through workshops, local seminars and refreshers courses. I then took responsible assignments such as reporting the National Legislature, the Judiciary and other parastatals o0f government. From Cub Reporter I was elevated to reporter and then to senior reporter. From their after my completion of the D. Twe High school, I was sponsored to the Certificate course of the Mass Communication Department of the University of Liberia where I earned a Certificate in 1990.

Today, the need for education has become an indispensable factor of life. This has drawn me back to the University of Liberia for a Bachelor of Acts Degree in Mass Communication with emphasis on Broadcasting – doing my senior courses. But education is dynamic. It isn’t achieved only through classroom lessons, but through other interactions. So I worked with a number of Liberian newspapers. To name a few in recent postwar Liberia are: The INQUIRER, THE NEWS, THE ANALYST, THE NEW VISION and www.frontpageafrica.com/ online outlet that has arouse my interest in internet journalism. Interesting, while in active journalism, I am applying the Public Affairs skilled gained in school, at the Embassy of Ghana where I work as Executive Officer for Information. I was taught public affairs reporting and public relations at University of Liberia, and the opportunity at the Embassy is an avenue for practice of these skills. But I will never forget my mom, for her prophecy has come through. Everywhere I work, I was called to the job instead of seeking jobs. I am always contented with my work putting into it my best – so I always won awards at work places – either reporter of the year, best feature writer of the year and others.

Moreover, one thing that suited me in contemporary journalism is my involvement with internet journalism. This started with my online reportage with the U. S. based Liberian online agency, frontpageafrica.com/ the climax of this interest is my recent attendance of the Panos Institute West Africa initiated Regional Workshop on ICT issues. This workshop has introduced to me a new dynamism in journalism, and brought to sharp focus the participation of the ordinary citizens in shaping their destiny through the dissemination of information. The discussion at this added more to may achievements, especially having discussed the channels and ways they are used to ensure that the ordinary people participate and have a say in the governance process I for instance through the use of the cyber communication on internet and mobile phones. This has arouse my interest in the information communication technology of information societies, and they way these channels of communication help the people to participate in decision making processes that affect their well-being through person-to-person and person-to-institution contacts. I will appreciate if I should participate in more of these workshops, to explore new dynamism in area of concern so as to enhance my potentialities and my contribution to society and humanity.