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  By Sheriff Saidykhan  Madi Jobarteh, a renowned Gambian human rights activist has said that The Gambian President Adama Barrow needs better advice and guidance.  His comments came amid the media fraternity meeting with President Adama Barrow on Monday to address key issues impacting the media landscape in The Gambia, including the need for a conducive media environment, press freedom, and media law reforms. Plus the need to drop the lawsuit charges against the voice, editor. The meeting brought together leading media figures, veteran journalists, representatives from the Women Journalists Association, MAJaC, and members of both the Media Council and the Gambia Press Union board.  In his usual Facebook posts to speak up about happenings in the country, especially human rights issues, he (Madi Jobarteh) added that if the President was committed to the freedom of the media, why would the IGP arrest Voice Newspaper journalists. “If the President was indeed committed to the freedom of the

  In The Gambia, a country often celebrated for its vibrant cultural diversity, an unspoken reality continues to plague thousands of people: caste-based discrimination, particularly against communities discriminated on work and descent (CDWD). Despite significant strides toward abolishing slavery and improving human rights, the shadow of descent-based oppression remains deeply entrenched, affecting every facet of life—from education to religious practice, and even basic human dignity. This isn't just a historical footnote; it's a living reality for many who are marginalised because of their caste, a system that continues to enslave families generation after generation. Halimatou Ceesay, a rights expert for the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) in The Gambia, spoke at the African Commission for Human and Peoples' Rights, bringing the issue to light. “In The Gambia, communities continue to endure caste-based discrimination that mirrors the i

  The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria is calling on media and relevant stakeholders to work in greater partnership to create a safe and enabling environment for journalists to operate. IPC is making the call today as journalists, other media professionals and freedom of expression groups mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists with the theme: Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies. IPC regrets that the safety of journalists during crises and emergencies in the country remain unguaranteed as evidenced by attacks on the media and journalists during the recent #EndBadGovernance protests and previous ones such as #EndSars. IPC is particularly worried that the perpetrators of the worsening spate of attacks are rarely brought to justice hence the regime of impunity for crimes against journalists continue to reign while the country also continues to rank high among countries where press freedom and freedom of expression are constantly

  CPJ is honored to present its 2024 International Press Freedom Award to Nigerien journalist Samira Sabou. Samira Sabou is one of Niger’s most prominent investigative journalists, who publishes mainly on her Facebook page and is the president of the Association of Bloggers for Active Citizenship (ABCA), an organization that advocates for freedom of expression and the rights of women and youth. Previously, she worked as a consultant for the Croissance Actualité Afrique (C2A) newspaper, directed the Economic and Social Development Information Magazine (MIDES) news website, and reported with the state-owned National Office of Publishing and Press (ONEP). Throughout her prestigious career, Sabou has been arrested, detained, and subjected to years of legal harassment because of her reporting on governance issues. In response to the various legal proceedings brought against her, she stopped working for the media and only publishes on her social media accounts. In July 2023, the Nigerien mil

  The Gambia Press Union (GPU) is deeply concerned by the country’s press freedom situation after the Gambian president and his environment minister decided to sue two newspapers for defamation. President Adama Barrow’s suit against The Voice, a privately-owned daily newspaper, stems from a September 23rd story which claims President Barrow has chosen a successor as part of an exit plan. The case was called before the Kanifing High Court today (October 25, 2024) before it was adjourned till November 22, 2024 and Musa Sheriff, the Editor-In-Chief, and The Voice newspaper given 30 days within which to file their defence. Similarly, the Minister of Environment, Rohey John Manjang, has filed a defamation suit against reporter Kebba Ansu Manneh and The Alkamba Times claiming damages of up to D50 million ($725, 479 at today’s exchange rate). The case will be mentioned at the High Court in Banjul on November 12, 2024. The Environment Minister’s suit against the reporter and the online news pl

  The Young Journalists Association of the Gambia(YJAG) on Sunday 20 October , 2024 concluded a two-day basic journalism training for press club members at St Michael's Junior and Senior Secondary school in Njongon village in the lower Niumi North Bank Region.  The training that gathers over fifty (50) students, was considered the first and most successful training received by the students at St Michael's Junior and Senior Secondary school press.  The first day of the training, students were taken through basic news writing, reporting, terminologies in journalism, among others. They were given class exercise in order to guage their understanding on the topics presented to them. At the climax of the training, YJAG executive members were invited at the Niumi FM to discuss about the importance of the training  and other activities of The Young Journalists Association of the Gambia.  The final day of the training, students were presented with topics such as; interviews, news presen

Dai Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping wave during the welcoming ceremony of an economic summit. Disinformation campaigns seeking to manipulate African information systems have increased nearly fourfold since 2022. That is according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), which linked disinformation campaigns to increased violence, support for coups, expanded anti-Western rhetoric and the spread of confusion about health care. These campaigns also work to erode confidence in traditional media sources. Nearly 60% of disinformation campaigns in Africa are linked to countries outside the continent. The efforts, aided by emerging technology, are mostly driven by Russia, although China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also push false narratives as they seek to spread their influence. Such contrived narratives are flourishing as Africa now has more than 400 million active social media users and 600 million internet users. Of t