Since the advent of the Barrow administration, journalists and other media stakeholders have been advocating for the citizen’s right to information in law. This in essence include calls for the enactment of Access to Information, Right to Information and Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, which many believe, would benefit not only the media but also the public, who need information to enable them to make informed decisions and debate the matters affecting them.
UNESCO/NATCOM on Thursday launched the Gambia’s first-ever media development indicators report at a launch held at Bakadaji Hotel. The event was presided over the minister of Information, Lamin Queen Jammeh.
The study looks at the media development in The Gambia since the change of government in 2017. In essence, the report, which is grouped into five categories, gives people a broader idea of the Gambian media landscape and level of progress recorded in terms of development, as well as the numerous challenges and existing gaps–which are militating factors in ensuring media independence and pluralism.
Therefore, this report could not have come at a better time than now when the working condition of most journalists needs improvement.
It is important to state here that The Gambia in the recent past has seen an increase in the number of private radio stations and FM stations in the country. This, as rightly alluded to by Secretary General of the Gambia Press Union(GPU) now avails Gambians the opportunity to enjoy the luxury of watching multiple local television channels, with five private television stations in operations, in addition to the national television which was the only TV station until 2017 when television broadcasting services was liberalised.
Despite these gains, the economic wellbeing of journalists remains precarious, making the news media industry economically unattractive and seen as an employer of last resort.
Considering media development indicators as important tools for assessment, itself can be part of the causes as well as beneficiary to-and-from good governance in particular and democratic development processes in general, by informing policies and facilitating implementation in the ongoing democratic transition and media sector reforms in The Gambia, states the minister of information.
We therefore commend UNESCO and NATCOM and all their stakeholders for this timely launch. We only hope relevant authorities would act swiftly by making sure all the recommendations catalogued are addressed in promoting the plight and working condition of journalists in the country to be even safer and worth venturing.