Experienced African reporters offered words of encouragement to young, would-be journalists attending a two-day summit for young people in Mali.

The summit, held on December 3 and 4, is dedicated to the future of young Africans. Four veteran journalists wrote letters to the young people to encourage them into the field while also warning them of the difficulties of reporting in Africa. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published the letters on its Web site.

“The media world is not a teacup affair,” writes Nigerian journalist Ayodele Ale. He brings up the challenges faced by many Africans who wish to become prominent journalists. Most are unable to afford primary school, much less a college degree.

Journalists from the Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zimbabwe wrote of their experiences reporting from countries that lack press freedom, where persecution of journalists is common. The tone of each letter, though, is generally positive.

Gunthrie Munyuki of Zimbabwe’s Daily News writes that journalism is a glamorous career, adding that he could not decide whether he wanted to become a soccer player, lawyer or journalist.

RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15791 The summit: http://tinyurl.com/e4d7f.