State of the
mass media in Gambia
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B Bah
The present
state of the mass media is not poor and not good especially with
the independent media’s that are always under direct attacks by
the government of the day. The Gambia has one Television station
and the is state own station that work directly under the state
department of Information, Communication and Technology. The
country has one National radio station the covered the country
but come on an off and work under the same department with the
TV. Both station are consider to be the mouthpiece of the
government. The media have work hard to live up to a standard
but with the pressure from the government freedom of the press
is consider very bad. There are few FM radio station in Banjul
and it surrounding and these station only broadcast on
entertainments base on only misconception, according to the
(G P U) president stressed that of the mass media is poor and
really not encouraging.
What
is the History of the Mass Media in the Gambia?
The efforts of
media in the colonial administration also played a great role
and the mass media started it’s work before independence.
Having won the
struggle they fought for, what does the media today do with the
freedom attained. Apart from other functions they played they
contribute a leading role in the struggle to entrench democracy
in all its form. All their actions and performance were geared
towards national development. They wished to see happenings on
the media landscape to protect nascent freedom of the Media
outlet in their days set themselves the task of the truth and
nothing but the truth .The truth, they say, was bitter and hence
difficult to state.
The most
significant point is the fact that the mass media have managed
survived just as democracy has survived especially the private
press. Having lived through the days of the Senegambia
Reporter (1953-1968) by Edward Francis Small .The Nation
(1964-2000) founded by William Charles Dixon Colley.The Gambia
Weekly News by Findin Daily.
The Progressive
News (1966-1977) by Mbacke Njie, The Gambia Onwards (1968) by
Rudolph Allen .The Vanguard by M.B Jones editor and Mr.
J.W.Bidwell-Bright, the owner, The Gambia Outlook by M.B Jones
and The Gambian by Nyang Thomas (1974-1994), these veteran
journalists had put to establish their identity In relation to
individuals, especially persons in authority or holding public
office .The media continuously in those days throw searching
light not only on the their performance but in deed their very
lives and private bearing
The Gambia press
Union (G P U) was launched on Friday 15th December
1978. At an extraordinary meeting held at the Banjul Youth
Centre. The GPU is the parent’s body of all the media houses in
this country and for all media organization.
What are
some of the problems Gambian journalists faces?
The Problems
Gambian Journalists face cannot be over emphasized. In the
Gambia journalists are not encourage by the employer.
Journalists are
threatening by the state security and also members of the ruling
party.
Journalists are jail, harassed, brutalized and unlawfully
detained.
In 2004 the
country witness the killing of the first journalist and up to
date government had not yet arrest anybody for his death.
Lack of equipment
or materials for journalists to carry out their job.
Lack of good roads
in the rural areas for journalists to go and cover events and
poor payment for journalists.
In the country
journalists are regarded as dangerous people in the society
and should be avoided.
Many journalists
in the country are not training and there is no school of
journalism in the country and 90% of the journalists are from
high school to the news room.
Do
the Gambian mass media have a code of ethics?
Gambia Press Union (G.P.U.) has a code that covered its
membership and not journalists in the country are member of the
union especially the state media. All members’ houses have their
guide and house styles.
Do
advertisers bring undue pressure on the mass media when it come
to covering certain stories
Most of the
government adverts are advertise in the government papers and
not in the papers consider by government to be independent and
are not also allowed to covered certain stories especially at
the state house and some government department.
What is the
relationship between the mass media and government?
The relationship
between the mass media and the government is very poor
especially independent. When GPU the head of all the media’s
both print and electronic organized a conference, workshop and
seminal, and invited government officials, they refusal to
attend, because their misconception is that government may sack
them for attending such event. The media is operating in a
‘hostile’ way in the country .The registration fees for a
newspaper was D100, 000, now increased to D500, 000 bond.
Journalist found guilty of false publication is fine a tune
amounting to D250, 000 to D500, 000 or six month imprisonment.
ESSAY
The role of the
mass media is to educated and entertain the public, create
awareness, and also make citizens to know their rights. They
also advocate, and inspired in the interesting stories, the mass
media are not functioning well. Because lack professional
training journalists and enough equipments for journalists to
carryout their jobs smoothly.