What is the
state of the state of the mass media in Gambia?
Mariama Ceesay
Gambia
The mass media has
been instrument in the development of this country and also
played extremely important role in awakening the masses to the
achievement of independence and also played a grate role in the
democratizations process and is upholding it social
responsibility with all the difficulty it face from the
government.
The mass media has
been the leading instrument of receiving and disseminating
information in this country.
There are18 media
institutions in the country. Six privately own newspapers namely
Foroyaa, Daily express Gambia Daily and Independent are
bi-weekly. News and Report is a weekly magazine. The Point is
five times weekly. Daily Observer is six times weekly.
Gambia Radio and Televisions Services (GRTS), is state own radio
and television station, which is mouthpiece of the government of
the day. There are five private radio stations, all FM West
Coast radio, City Limits radio Kids With Talent Radio, Sud FM
Radio, and Radio 1 FM and Citizen FM Radio. These are not allow
to reports on events that happen in this country, therefore
these station only entertain and advertise. There are five
community Radio stations. Brikama, Farafenni, Basse, Kerewan and
Yirriwa community Radio and they are about community awareness
programme.
The mass media
have work very hard to live to standard in this country. In the
second Republic the mass media especially the independent press
has reports on the government of the day the came to power by
coup and have also cover all the activities. The mass media has
cover the three presidential and National Assembly election of
the second Republic and all local government election.
What are some of the problems Gambian journalist face?
The media Gambia
have suffered so many problems, since era of colonialism, when a
prominent journalist Finden Dally was drag to court for writing
a critical article against the colonial matters, about the
treatment anemia patients, being asked to undress naked and make
a cure for treatment at the then Royal Victoria Hospital in
Banjul. Another such example is the case Ba M. Trawally one of
the oldest Gambian journalist was sentence to one year in
jail. He was found guilty of writing false news, about force
labour work at the former president Sir Dawda Jawara’s farm in
Barajally, but he was later pardon by the then president.
In 1993 the
Government of first Republic drafted a draconian law against
media, but media practitioners took up the issue to the
parliament for security, unfortunately the Sir Dawada’s
government was over thrown a year later
In 1995 the
military government of Captain Yaya Jammeh increased the
newspaper registration fees from D1000 to D100, 000 in 1998 and
from D100.000 to D500, 000, in 2004. In the same year government
set of media commission and introduced the media commission Act,
this required media practitioners to secure license and to pay
an annual registration fee of D500, 00 before they practice as
journalist, excluding the state media and journalist. Meanwhile
the Gambia Press Union with the help of other stakeholders took
the matter to the supreme court of the Gambia and fortunately
for the GPU, the act was repeal by the National Assembly.
The inexplicable
delay, deliberate or otherwise, in setting upon Independent
National Media Commission the second republic should worry all
of us who care for free and independent press. It is time we
have a constitution standing directly against these provisions
of decrees 70 and 71.These acts by the government inhibit press
freedom.
A catalogue of attacks on the mass media in the Gambia
Dyda Hydara
Former Managing
Editor and proprietor of the Point News paper and Treasurer of
WAJA .The point was then a privately owned newspaper published
three times weekly.
It is now publish
daily .He was shot dead at the close range in the vicinity of
the Police Garage and the Police intervention Unite (paramility
force) at Kanifing, 12 Kilometers from the capital, Banjul while
he was driving two member of his staff home .The National
Intelligence Agency (the intelligence service) took over the
investigation from the police and soon after issued an interim
report, then coming up with a credible lead as to who Killed
Deyda the report tended to cast suspicions on Deyda as being
responsible for his death .After his interim report no progress
has ever been reported on the investigation of the crime by
the security forces .The call by the Gambia Press Union for the
President to set up a commission of inquiry or to invite Foreign
independent investigators since they have not made any progress
on the investigation has gone unheeded.
Arson Attacks
18 August 2001, Radio 1 Fm
Was subjected to
arson attack in the course of which the proprietor, Mr. George
Christianson, sustained injuries and was admitted at a clinic
.The attack took place between 2 am and 3 am. According to the
proprietor, a group of people upon arrival cleared all the
people in the vicinity of the arson. They then proceeded to
spray both the proprietor and watchman with a chemical, the
proprietor sustained injuries and burns on several parts of his
body. After spraying them with a chemical, they proceeded to
empty a twenty-liter container of gas oil on the main doors and
set them ablaze.
On 10 August
2001,there was a second attack on the house of Alieu Bah, a
journalist at radio 1FM,a privately owned radio station, which
organized programmes that facilitated debates between
politicians and other prominent personalities of divergent views
and dissenting opinions. At about 3 am the front door of his
house was bolted from the outside. They poured gas oil on it and
set it ablaze while he was sleeping with his family.
The Independent’s
offices were set on fire on the evening of 17 October 2003 at
about 3am.Acting editor, Sidi Bojang, told reporters that three
men came, sprayed the caretaker with a chemical and hit him with
iron bar, that while he was being taken to hospital, four men
climbed over the newspaper’s institution wall and set it on fire
through the windows. They fled on the arrival of several
employees of Uncle Sam security agency contracted to protect
some premises in the vicinity.
13 April 200,now
the printing facilities of The Independent at Kanifing south
were attacked. The staff present at the time said that six men
putting on camouflage uniform and mask assaulted the staff
around 2am.According to the employees, they got into the
printing room, poured petrol on the machine and set it ablaze.
The machine was completely burnt and became dysfunctional.
Sunday, 15August
2004, there was yet another mysterious attack on the home of
Gambian born BBC reporter, Mr.Ebrima Sillah at about
3am.According to Sillah, the assailant removed the wire gauge on
one of the windows of the sitting room, removed the louver
glasses, pour fuel into the sitting room and set it ablaze at a
time when he was asleep in his bedroom. The heat and smoke woke
him up and he escaped through the window of his bedroom. Prior
to this attack Sillah had received an email purported to be from
the “green boys’ threatening him.
Arrests And Detention
1.Mr. Abdoulie
Sey, editor-in-chief of The Independent, a privately owned
bi-weekly. According to the staff of the independent, he was
arrested by three men from the NIA (the intelligence unit) at
about 6pm on 19 September 2003 who took him away with a black
ford with no registration number displayed on the number
plate. He was released four days later.
2.Mr Musa
Saidykhan, editor-in-chief of The Independent was arrested and
detained for a brief period soon after his return from the
Editors” Forum in South Africa. Interrogation centered around
suspicion that he gave adverse information to very senior south
African officials about the state of the press and human rights
in the Gambia.
2.Mr Musa
Saidykhan, editor-in-chief of The Independent was arrested and
detained for a brief period soon after his return from the
Editors” Forum in South Africa. Interrogation centered around
suspicion that he gave adverse information to very senior south
African officials about the state of the press and human rights
in the Gambia.
3.MONDAY
27 MARCH 2006, the Editor –in Chief of Independent, Musa
Saidiykhan was arrested by the NIA from his home a few day
after two articles critical of the President were published a
few days after alleged attempted coup of 21 March 2007.
4. TUESDAY MARCH
2006, the General manger of the Independent, Madi M.K. Ceesay
was arrested by the NIA when reported for work on that day. Both
Madi M.K. Ceesay and Musa Saidykhan were released on after three
weeks without being charged.
5.10 APRIL 2006,
Mr. Lamin M. Fatty, a reporter of The independent was arrested
from his home by the NIA and taken to the NIA Headquarters in
Banjul where he was held up to the 63rd day of his
detention. Upon released he faced a trial on false publication
.the trial before a magistrate has been on since 12 June 2006.
The penalty for the offence is between a fine of D50, 000
($1800) and d250, 000($9000) or imprisonment for a minimum
period of one year.
6.25 APRIL 2006,
Mr. Juldeh Sowe, a receptionist at the independent was arrested
when he reported for work on that day .he was released on that
day.
7.JULY 2006,
according to employees at daily observer, chief Ebrima Manneh .a
news editor of the paper was arrested on that day when he
reported for work by plain cloths security officers believed to
be NIA officials. Foroyaa newspaper reported that he was seen at
Fatoto Police Station in the far eastern end. But the police and
the NIA have denied that he is in their custody .At the moment,
his whereabouts is not known.
8. ON 24 MAY 2006,
the following journalists were arrested after the freedom
Newspaper saga.
(a)
Mr. Musa S.Sheiff a reporter at News and Report, a privately
owned weekly magazine.
(b) Mr. Pa
Modou Faal of Gambia Radio and Television Services, the state
owned broadcasting house.
(c) Mr. Lamin
Cham, a Gambian born BBC reporter
(d) Mr. Sam Obi,
who reports for Radio France intentional.
(e) Mr. Malick
Mboob, the then communications officer at the Royal Victoria
Teaching Hospital (RVTH)
After the hacking
of the address book of Freedom Newspaper, a list of alleged
subscribers and informants were published in Daily Observer.
This was followed
by a wave of arrest that included these five journalists. But no
official reason was given for their arrest. Malick Mboob was
released on 9 October 2006. The others were released on
different dates.
9. September 2006,
Dodou Sanneh, a GRTS reporter who was covering the campaign of
the UDP led opposition coalition was recalled from his
assignment and arrested when he reported for work. He was
released on Monday 27 September 2006 and sacked on the same day
without reasons being given. He was reinstated but later sacked
again.
10. 28 March
2007 Fatou, Jaw Manneh, a former reporter of Daily Observer who
now resides in the USA was arrested by the NIA upon arrival at
Banjul International Airport. She had come from the USA to visit
her family. She is changed with sedition. The following is said
to be the seditious matter:
“Betrayal, Jammeh
is tearing our beloved country into shreds, he debunked our
hopes and became a thorn into every issue that is related to
progress in the Gambia, be it social, political and economic.
Worst of all, he is a bundle of terror. There is need to speak
out. If you look around The Gambia, particularly at the
condition people live in, you will see what I mean that Gambians
are desperately in need of an alternative to this egoistic
frosted Imam of APRC. Jammeh is full of energy but very negative
energy and he totally lacks direction. What he needs is to come
clear to the Gambian people and say that he has failed us all
miserably, that he will be doing everything to revitalize his
promises to the Gambian people, excuse his ten years in office,
rather than farcing us to recognize the developments that do not
exist.
Assaults
16 December
2005,
Police then with
the Daily Observer ruffled ratatouille Charreh who was when
participants at the international conference attempted to visit
the site where late Deyda Hydara was gunned down.
1. In 2006,
Njameh Bah a reporter of The Point was attacked and
severely beaten by her attackers.
On 12 December
2006, Baron Eloagu of the Daily Express a privately newspaper
was attacked and beaten. This followed the severe beating up and
Abdougafar Olademinji, also of the Daily Express
The National
Assembly enacted the criminal code against journalist under
which two journalists Lamin M Fatty and Fatou Jaw Manneh are
standing trial on charges of sedition and false publication
under the criminal code.
Laws in the Gambia
are very stiff against journalist and the environment is also
hostile, because it is very difficult for a journalist to remedy
a problem if his or her rights is violated. A typical example is
the murder case of Deyda Hydara who was murdered by unknown
assailants on December 16, 2004. Since then there has been no
case file in the courts against the culprits and instead the out
come of the investigation blame him for the cause of his death.
It is exactly one year since Chief Ebrima Manneh was detained
under police custody without any criminal charges against him.
Several other journalists have also fled the country for fear of
being jail.
What is the media history in the Gambia?
Media history in
the Gambia started in the era British colonial rule, the
Bathurst times started in 1871 and closed down in 1874,Bathurst
Observer and the West African Gazette started in 1883 and folded
in 1888.After the birth of the Gambia intelligencer came into
existence 1896.
Edward Francis
Small in 1922 established a newspaper called the outlook
choosing carefully its issues addressing subjects relevant to
National and workers interest and fighting for the struggle for
independence.
In the early 50’s
the Vanguard stated being edited by the late MB Jones
William Charles
Dixon Colley a renown Gambian journalist started a newspaper
call the Nation in the early 60’s to fight against corruption in
the former regime, the Torch, founded and edited by Sanna
Manneh, Echo, The New Gambia founded by Ba M Tarawally and
Africa Nyaato come into existence, Sam Sarr, Halifa Sallah and
Sedia Jatta came up with the Foroyaa Newspaper around 1979,in
1990 the Daily Observer came into being, established by Kenneth
Y. Best, from Liberia followed by The Point Newspaper in 1991
jointly own by Pap Saine, Baboucarr Gaye and the late Deyda
Hydara, News and Report magazine edited by Sweabou Conateh in
1992, Gambia Daily in 1994 state own newspaper, The Inquirer
and the Independent newspaper in 1999 .
The major
development on the media landscape has been the birth of more
private papers and few radio stations, which have widened the
freedom of expression from the privilege class to the ordinary
individuals. The various private papers have deeper debate and
dialogue on major issues and have heightened the competition
between themselves and the government medium. The result is that
Gambian today has a menu of news and media to choose from. This
country has witnessed momentary, eras of press freedom, the very
fact that several papers manage to wage a relentless struggle
against colonial rule with their pens. Indicates that today’s
tradition of crusading and advocacy journalism has model in the
past.
Press freedom can
any day collapse under severe weight of economic pressure,
unlike other African countries; newspapers have been launched in
this country without weight of economic pressure, unlike other
African countries; newspapers have been launched in this country
without considerable capital. The financial base of many private
papers that have in later years provided an alternative platform
for ideas and debate is so poor that there marketing and
circulation and consequently their sustainability cannot be
guaranteed. Retain measures deemed necessary and relevant to
whole concept of press freedom in the second republic.
The Gambia media code of ethics
The Gambia Press
Union has a code of ethics, but it is not binding on all
journalists. The reason is that the state media is not fully
adhering to the content of the code ethics. Also all media house
have their own style and editorial way of doing their work.
Do advertisers bring undue pressure on the mass media when it
comes to covering certain stories?
Advertisers are
put undue pressure on the mass media, when it comes to covering
certain stories, government are not allowed to Adventist with
some independent newspaper or radio station and are not also
allowed to cover certain stories especially at the state house
and many government department
What is the relationship between the mass media and the
government?
The relationship
between the media and government of the Gambia is not cordial,
because it is base on misconception; government seen the private
media as a mouthpiece for the opposition.
What is role of
the mass media in Gambia?
The role of the
Gambian mass media is to create awareness to the general
citizenry on the day-to-day affairs of the present day
government and social issues affecting the lives people and
provide entertainment for the public.
Are the mass media performing its duty well? Why? Or why not?
The media has not
been performing its duties well because of the hostile
environment in which we operate. Access to information from
government officials by the private press is a major problem,
secondly there is no motivation for practicing journalists and
there is fear among to give divergent views.
How can the media be improved?
The mass media in
the Gambia can improved if there is effective and sustainable
capacity building programme for journalist, motivation and free
access to information and press freedom.
What are the most popular mass media and programs among the
student?
The mass media
programs among the students in class that are working for
independents media house are to cover criminal case against two
journalists that is presently in magistrate court and also
update report on the disappearance of our colleague Ebrima
Mennah. The arrest USA base journalist Fatou Jaw Manneh and
trial of Lamin Fatty journalist of the closed Independent
Newspaper is the most popular mass media programs among the
students.