FPA Editorial Team

EDITORIAL TEAM

RODNEY D. SIEH, MANAGING EDITOR

Rodney D. Sieh is a veteran Liberian journalist with more than fifteen years experience. During the height of the civil war in Liberia , he covered the war as a senior reporter for the Monrovia Daily News, venturing on the frontlines with ECOMOG peacekeepers to report on the casualties and progress of the devastating war.

In 1992, Sieh fled Liberia for The Gambia to help his uncle Kenneth Best in run the independent Daily Observer. While in The Gambia, Sieh became a correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC).  When Yahya Jammeh and a corps of lowly-ranked officers seized power from Sir Dawda Jawara, Sieh braved the skirmishes of gunfire and ventured to State House where he scored the first interview with the new ruler and his key lieutenants. Despite Jammeh’s pledge to distinguish himself from other African dictators before him, the aftermath of the coup saw a string of disappearances and mysterious killings. When Sieh’s uncle, Mr. Best was arrested in late September 1994, Sieh broke the news on the BBC and soon after Jammeh’s forces went out in search of him, forcing him into hiding.  Mr. Sieh fled the Gambia in November 1994 for London , England en route to the United States .

A graduate with honors in Media Studies graduate from Hunter College, Mr. Sieh has worked with several U.S. newspapers including Newport News, Syracuse Post Standard and the Daily Record.  He worked as an intern at including the Newark Star Ledger, the Kansas City Star.  At Hunter College, Sieh, was among the pilot team which launched the first online college newspaper, The Word, which many students past and present use to build their resumes and journalism credentials (writing samples etc) to find jobs. In 2009, Sieh served as a panelist at a United Nations Peacebuilding panel.

Today, he, along with a small team of dedicated staff, has successfully transformed these news visual and investigative skills into the widely-read FrontPageAfrica.com now FrontPageAfricaonline.com which was launched in June 2005 and now enjoys almost 20 million visitors a month. FrontPageAfrica, along with other civil society groups, have been at the forefront of efforts to strengthen Liberia's new democracy which, if it is to be sustainable, must be built on the rule of law, good governance and respect for Human rights. In this respect, FrontPageAfrica has been at the forefront of the battle to expose corruption and acts inimical to good governance in Liberia that has earned it the respect and admiration of the Liberian populace. The stories published by FrontPageAfrica have led to specific policy reforms to strengthen Liberia's new democratic institutions, and to provide greater transparency and public accountancy in government, but these struggles are far from over and must be sustained at all levels.

Continuing its hard-hitting cutting-edge approach, FrontPageAfrica in December 2009 launched its print version and has already rocketed to the most circulated and one of the most –widely-read newspaper in Liberia today.

NAT BAYJAY

Nat Bayjay is the Senior Reporter for FrontPageAfrica Incorporated. His responsibilities include writing lead stories and other feature-stories for the entity’s over 20 million online and print
editions’ audiences.

Notably among his masterpieces are the widely read articles ‘Man Without a Face: 1 Year after Armed Robbery Attack, Victim Lingers in Pain  and its sequel ‘FACELIFT: Man Without A Face Off to U.S. for
Surgery; Two Years after Acid Burn’, ‘Liberia's Sanitation Hell: In Clara Town, Scarcity of Toilets Pose Health Risks ‘ and the most recent stirring story ‘Bare-Floor Education: At One Liberian School,
Kids Learning The Hard Way ’.

He also coordinates and supervises nine other reporters and five nationwide correspondents, providing guidance and editorial assistances where needed.

Additionally, he has been involved with training three interns during the summer for the entity.

He is a graduate of the University of Liberia (UL) where he earned a Bachelor in Public Administration (BPA) with minor in Mass Communications. His recent attendances of other internationally-organized journalistic and other media related workshops and trainings have given him urge in reporting on issues in
Liberia’s post-conflict era.

Nat Bayjay, doubles as head of FrontPageAfrica county team and a Senior Reporter.  His responsibilities include writing lead stories and other
feature-stories for the entity’s over 20 million online and print
editions’ audiences.

Notably among his masterpieces are the widely read articles ‘Man
Without a Face: 1 Year after Armed Robbery Attack, Victim Lingers in
Pain  and its sequel ‘FACELIFT: Man Without A Face Off to U.S. for
Surgery; Two Years after Acid Burn’, ‘Liberia's Sanitation Hell: In
Clara Town, Scarcity of Toilets Pose Health Risks ‘ and the most
recent stirring story ‘Bare-Floor Education: At One Liberian School,
Kids Learning The Hard Way ’ .

He also coordinates and supervises nine other reporters and five
nationwide correspondents, providing guidance and editorial
assistances where needed.

Additionally, he has been involved with training three interns during
the summer for the entity.

He is a graduate of the University of Liberia (UL) where he earned a
Bachelor in Public Administration (BPA) with minor in Mass
Communications. His recent attendances of other
internationally-organized journalistic and other media related
workshops and trainings have given him urge in reporting on issues in
Liberia’s post-conflict era.

Wade Williams

Wade C.L. Williams is a Liberian Journalist currently serving as Editor of Frontpage Africa Newspaper. Her career as a journalist spans ten years. Wade holds a degree in Mass Communications from the United Methodist University. She believes in diligence in service.

She served for many years as a columnist on political issues with the Liberian Diaspora Newspaper. Before coming to FrontPage Africa, Wade was Executive Director of the Liberian Diaspora Magazine.

Her most challenging experience in the field was when she followed the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for seven days, cataloging every activity. As a student at the United Methodist University, Wade pioneered the first student newsletter ‘Inside UMU’ and graduated top of her class ‘Magna Cum Laude’.

Wade has a good sense of humor. Even amid the most difficult of situations she still finds time to smile.

AARON LEAF

Aaron Leaf has been a magazine editor and writer for five years now in Canada and in Zambia. He joins the FrontPage Africa team as a print media trainer for Journalists for Human Rights. His main interest is
in long-form investigative journalism and online multimedia stories.

You can contact him at aaron.leaf@gmail.com.

Gboko John Stewart

Coming from a family of writers, Gboko John Stewart is a self taught writer. His father, John H.T. Stewart is a journalist. His late grandmother, Sarah Porte Stewart wrote a collection of unpublished short stories while her brother, Albert Porte, was Liberia’s greatest pamphleteer who fought for social justice. He started as a copy editor/reporter in August 2008 at the Liberia Observer Corporation, Publishers of the Daily Observer Newspaper, and while in high school at Monrovia College. Pursuing his passion in investigative reporting, he moved on to FrontPage Africa. He brought the authorities attention to students’ heralded ‘Super Friday’- a day set aside by students in which students from every high school gathered on the beach and merry make (drinking, smoking etc). He loves reporting on issues that are overlooked in society (like the sale of alcohol and cigarette to minors).

David Kolleh

David B. Kolleh is a Liberian Journalist with a rich seven years of work experience at three of Liberia’s top media outlets including in print television and radio. He’s worked for Love TV, the Liberian Journal, Daily Observer and Insight. He is currently at FrontPage Africa as a staff writer. At both Daily Observer and Insight he served as a Senior Reporter, reporting from the Executive and Legislative branches of the Liberian Government. David believes that by exposing corruption he can help save the country’s resources from plunder.

Clara K. Mallah is a Liberian journalist, who has covered many stories mainly humor interest. With two years experience in the media, she has written heart-touching stories relating to women’s issues and some investigative reporting that has caught the attention of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and others including the ‘5LD for Sex’ story. She started reporting news in 2008, at the Daily Observer News Paper and currently works at the FrontPage Africa News Paper. Mallah is also a fellow at the New Narratives. She’s a graduating senior at the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU). She’s an associate member of the press Union of Liberia.

M. Welemongai Ciapha II

M. Welemongai Ciapha, II, a self -taught writer was born in Sanoyea, Bong County on March 13, 1958.

His early education was marred by difficulties, because of his interest in politics, which was considered at the time as a dangerous venture for a poor student.

With his interest of being a politician, Ciapha managed to have graduated from the Assembly of God Mission High School in Sinkor, Monrovia in1988.

In 1992, Ciapha took up his pen and went into hiding in the forest in his hometown, Gorla as an unknown writer for fear of the NPFL rebels, and began the publication of series of articles behind the rebel lines.

He was later tracked down by the NPFL with one of the articles at Tubman’s farm, near Totota on March 3, 1996 highlighting how a pregnant woman was being buried alive in Sanoyea, but was later set free.

Sports writer A. Macaulay Sombai  began his career writing for the then Sports Journal Newspaper. He  has undergone training at the Sports Department of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) 1998.

He became one of the popular sport reporters of the LBS Sports Department headed by Zoegar Jaynes and Henry Flomo. The latter currently is the communications Director at the Liberia Football Association (LFA).

Based on some of the changes that took place at the LBS after the 2003 LURD-MODEL’s incursion, Sombai joined King’s 88.5 FM owned by Royal Communication Incorporated (RCI) in 2005.

In December 2007, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) honored and certificated Sombai as the best sports writer of the year and in 2008 the Liberia Basketball Federation (LBF) also honored and certificated him as the best sports writer of the year.

Prior to receiving the two awards, he received certificate from LFA Sinkor, the LFA West Clara and the LFA Central Monrovia sub-committees in 2006, 2007 and 2008 as the best journalist of those years base on his accurate reporting.

Sombai has also received from the Inter School Sports Association (ISSA) for the past four years as the best journalist of the year. Presently, another award en route from ISSA- all is due to his excellent reporting.

GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT

FrontPage Africa Graphics Designer/ Layout Editor
Jacob Roland

It took me a long time, working in many different places, before I started working with FrontPage Africa. Graphic design is something that I love...art. I spent most of my time on the computer as a teenager growing up to become a graphic designer. I have passion for what I do. In addition to being a graphic designer, I am also a layout expert.

Am a student of the Stella Maris Polytechnic studying Electronic Engineering, I also have an associate degree in Desktop Publishing from ATIBC school of Technology in Nigeria.

My design expertise includes designing business cards, to billboards, logo design, brochures, newsletters, magazine etc.

As a designer, I strive to create designs; to push the envelope and welcome new challenges with excitement. Clean and uncluttered design is the common thread throughout my portfolo, and with my input as layout editor of FrontPage Africa, I have won awards, which is testament tos the widespread appeal of my work.

Albert T. Dayyeah 
I am a Graphics Designer and a Student of the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU).
At AMEU I am reading Accounting and Economics. Graphics Designer is a whole lot of fun and entertainment. I worked in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Corel Draw 12 and others.

Chase Walker is an artist, a graphic designer and a book illustrator. Cartoon is the simplest way I find to convey my opinion.

The characters and text might look funny and make you laugh, but the mean aim is for the individual to digest the message, and when this happen I feel I’ve achieved something.

J. Ralph Lincoln is an experienced entertainment Journalist who has been fully involved in the field since 2003.  He served as Editor for Liberia’s premier sports and entertainment newspaper- Monrovia Tidings for four years and Sub-Editor of Ultimate Choice Magazine before moving to FrontPageAfrica where he serves as Lifestyle/Entertainment reporter/Editor.

He formerly produced and presented “Back From Church” and “Movie Box” both on Magic Radio 99.2 and is the present producer and host of “HOT FACTORS,” a live radio show that showcases the movers and shakers of Liberia, with focus on their lifestyles and the issues surrounding them. The television’s version of the program is set to go public soon.

Mr. Lincoln resides in Monrovia with his son J. Ralph Lincoln, Jr. (aka Raj) and other families…and if you are wondering…yes, he is a single dad.

J. Ralph Lincoln

Chase Walker

Jacob Roland

A. Macaulay Sombai