It retraces the path covered by the newspaper in the past four decades.

As the national bilingual daily newspaper, Cameroon Tribune (CT) celebrates 40 years of unrelenting service of informing and educating its numerous readers within and without the country, the path covered in the past four decades can be revisited in a special bilingual publication titled, “Cameroon Tribune. 40 ans au service de l’information… 40 Years of Credible Information.”

The 154-page coloured book dissects the four decades the newspaper has lived thus far (1974-1984, 1984-1994, 1994-2004 and 2004-2014) with incisive reports on the ups and downs of the newspaper and testimonies of those who played pivotal roles in its functioning.  

Prefaced by SOPECAM’s Board Chairman, Joseph LE with pre-words from the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the historic documents also contains an editorial from SOPECAM’s General Manager, Marie-Claire Nnana and an Update by the Deputy General Manager, Shey Peter Mabu.  “Cameroon Tribune. 40 ans au service de l’information… 40 Years of Credible Information,” among others highlights the trying moments of the newspaper notably the 1984-1994 period when problems obliged retrenchment of personnel and the reduction of the paper size. Reports and testimonies from those who lived the ‘dark days’ speak of a drop from 24 to 16 pages and latter to 12 pages.

But after 1994, there was light at the end of the tunnel, and the book describes the 1994-2004 decade as a “Period of Metamorphoses.”  The book notes a turnaround in the paper in 1998 when some 15 young reporters were sent in from the Ministry of Communication to beat back life into the paper. Coupled with the acquisition of a new printer, the paper that had gone to 24 pages further increased to 32 pages. The quality and quantity then left Cameroon Tribune unrivaled in the country’s print media landscape.

There are also reports by fine journalists in the book tracing the introduction of a digital environment in the newsroom which they say led to more yielding work space. 1994-2004, reports say, also marked years of technical transformation in the paper. This is notably with the introduction of photo treatment software like QuarkPress and Adobe Photoshop which has enhanced and quickened layout time and quality.

The book also x-rays the 2004-2014 period which it qualifies as a “period of consolidating leadership,” a position which the newspaper currently enjoys in the country, threats from competitors notwithstanding. And the period is narrated mostly by the younger generation of reporters who are also fast getting into management.

Readers of  “Cameroon Tribune. 40 ans au service de l’information… 40 Years of Credible Information,” will also have the opportunity to discover the faces behind some names whose articles they read on a daily basis in the different columns of the evolving paper. From the management and editorial leaders, the book also contains the names and photos of Chiefs of Agencies, editors, sub-editors and reporters in all the news desks that the paper runs.

The book printed by SOPECAM is distributed by Messapresse at FCFA 3,000 a copy.