It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this debut edition of Weekend Express. As you might already be aware, this newspaper is a publication by the Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) for you. I will not bother going into details about this weekly tabloid suffice to say though that it would not have been possible without the kind and generous financial support from the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA). MIJ is a journalism training institute with the mandate to foster professional journalism in the country. To achieve this it runs a radio station not only for laboratory purposes but also to contribute towards economic development by providing the vital catalyst - information.
The birth of this newspaper is, therefore, a milestone in our efforts to play a leading role in the field of professional journalism. The paper in your hands will play a complementary role to MIJ FM. Being a publication for a learning institution, we bear the burden of being exemplary. We intend to be as independent and professional as we can. After all, we have no reason for being politically biased. This paper is produced by well trained journalists with vast experience in mainstream journalism. Do not therefore relegate it to the ranks of election publications that come with campaigns and go with elections.
The Weekend Express will have everything a serious newspaper should have; business, politics, sports, entertainment, religion and many other areas of public interest, including columns that will make you reflect at life from a wider angle so you can make informed decisions. The weekly paper coming out every Friday also provides an ideal opportunity for the business community to flight their advertisements. With a countrywide distribution network, Weekend Express provides that golden business opportunity. For the first time in Malawi, you have a leading radio socio-political satire Bwande, serialised in a newspaper. Allow me, therefore to welcome you to this news paper. We rely on you to make this endeavor a success by interacting with us and providing stories, constructive criticisms, news tips etcetera. Dear readers, here is the crew bringing the Weekend Express.
Dr Jika Nkolokosa
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
