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Realities of Gambian journalism
Monday, 16 August 2010 15:18
By Yaya DamphaLike any county in transition, the Gambian media is saddled with a lot of obstacles that hinder its development and vibrancy. Ironically, most of these countries effectively used the media as a tool to liberate their citizens from colonial yokes.
Until the advent of a military coup on 22 July 1994, The Gambia had been hailed as a model of democracy, rule of law, human rights and media freedom. Media freedom was guaranteed during the British colonial rule and even 30 years after the country became independent.
But the country’s democratic culture and freedom were soon ceased by a junta that was preparing itself for politics. Its strategy was to use the media to promote its agenda to the public. The junta however reacted in fury when the media began probing its two year transition in office and the result was to arbitrarily arrest, detain and deport foreign journalists.
The junta leader [Lt. Yahya Jammeh] also kept on launching arsenals on journalists, framing them as “illegitimate sons of Africa.” Private newspapers were barred from being printed by the national printer and denied government advertisement. Jammeh asked Gambians to stop patronizing newspapers so that their owners would pack up.
His government had succeeded in gagging Gambians in all walks of life except the private media. And when all its attempts had failed, fire, illegal arrest and threats then became a weapon to tame radical and critical media and journalists. Classical examples were the torching of The Independent newspaper printing press and the house of the BBC Banjul correspondent, Ebrima Sillah in 2004.
A media commission bill was enacted by the National Assembly all in the government’s effort to cage the independent media.
The bill establishes a National Media Commission with jurisdiction over complaints against journalists. The commission can summon journalists to reply to complaints and is further empowered to force journalists to reveal their sources. The president of the commission is to be appointed by the president of Gambia.
The bill requires all journalists in the Gambia to register with the commission, whose wide-ranging powers include the ability to close down media companies, impose exorbitant fines on journalists, and jail journalists for contempt.
The commission will issue one-year, renewable licenses to journalists and media organizations. Organizations and journalists that do not register will be subject to a fine of no less than 5,000 dalasis (US$278). Individual journalists who fail to pay this fine can be suspended for nine months. Media organizations can be suspended for three months.
The commission can issue warrants for the arrest of any journalist who ignores a summons to appear before it. The commission will also be responsible for formulating a journalistic code of ethics.
A similar draft bill was introduced last year but was shelved after a leaked copy sparked vigorous protests by journalists and human rights groups.
Gambian journalists have lobbied hard against this latest effort to restrict their work. On May 3, journalists protested the bill's passage on the streets of the capital, Banjul. The Gambia Press Union says it intends to pursue legal action in order to have the bill declared unconstitutional. Many local journalists have already indicated that they will not abide by the new law.
This ungodly laws were not left unchallenged by the media houses ,journalists and Human Rights organizations even though the Gambia government refused to listen.
Yet Gambian journalists remain adamant in their search for truth, much to the consternation of the regime. And to nail the coffin, a leading newspaper editor, Deyda Hydara, was gunned down on 16 December 2004 and the state refused to investigate thus sending shivers down the spines of journalists.
Even after the callous killing of the doyen editor, Gambian journalists continue to live in a climate of fear characterized by state-sponsored kidnappings, tortures, illegal closure of critical media houses, enactment of obnoxious media laws. As a result, many victims of state reprisals either censor themselves or run into exile.
In line with its news blackout agenda, the government banned civil servants from talking to the press without obtaining clearance from the secretary general. The policy restricts journalists from confirming stories or publishing classified information, resulting to proliferation of rumors. Despite guaranteeing freedom of the press and expression through constitutional provisions, The Gambia is yet to enact access to information act.
The high tax on news materials makes newspaper business unprofitable, which is why most journalists are poorly remunerated, lack motivation and some quit to search for greener pastures else where. Bereft with printing press, most newspapers spend huge sums on printing.
The government’s refusal to accept the incorporation of school of journalism in the only university deprives majority of Gambian journalists from training. They rely on short courses to boost their skills and professionalism.
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Comments
Comment
This is the sad realities of the day in Gambia since 1994. Gambians will continue to struggle against all odds thrown on to the path until our motherland’s liberated from the jaws of a murderous criminal, yaya jammeh, whose selfishness transcends all boundaries of morality. The Gambia’s for Gambians; no amount of intimidation can change that. Keep it up the selfless journalists, citizens & friends of Gambia. We’ll succeed in the end; sooner.
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