The Gambia Press Union (GPU) argues that the Gambia government’s proposed Media Accreditation Policy and Broadcasting and Online Content Regulations seeks to stiffle journalism in the country
During recent media appearance by the secretary general and the vice president of the Union, Modou Joof and Sheriff Saidykhan, both leaders emphasize the damage these policy documents could affect a hard-fought and already existing press freedom in The Gambia.
Modou Joof cited that if the government has succeeded in this implementation, the policy will kill the spirit of free, fair, and independent journalism.
“The content of the National Accreditation Policy and the Broadcasting and Online Content Regulations 2025. These two documents put together provide an environment for journalists that would severely restrict press freedom, freedom of expression, and even access to information,” the GPU secretary general implies.
He added that the content regulations have provisions that even try to restrict journalists from secret recording, which in itself restricts investigative journalism, pointing out that in investigative journalism, public accountability journalism, and public interest journalism, at some point require journalists to go undercover, to secretly record, to expose acts of corruption of issues of misgovernance.
The Secretary General maintains that if a content regulation is restricting that right of journalists, which is internationally recognised and acceptable everywhere, then the message it is trying to send is obviously to limit issues of accountability of government, for which the media is constitutionally mandated by virtues of provisions of the 1997 Constitution of the Gambia. According to him, these regulations are going to limit media reporting in exposing issues of corruption, which is not in the public interest.
Modou Joof further emphasizes that theGambia Press Union is against these regulations, especially in its current format, stressing that the Unio does not support in any way and would not accept its content as it only seeks to suppress the independence of the media. He argued that accreditation policies embedded within the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) have no legal basis for those extended mandates for PURA to undertake.
Sheriff Saidykhan, the vice president of the GPU, also raises concern about the motive of the introduction of these documents, stating that their content details are deeply troubling. If you go through regulation 19, which talks about Broadcasting and Online Content Regulations Regulations, it stipulates that a journalist should apply for registration to the Public Utility Authority. Before practising journalism broadcast, his or her name must enter into the registrar maintained by the Public Utility Authority.
Citing the mismatched of the regulations, Mr Saidykhan outlined that the PURA Act 2001 explicitly explains its core mandate in relation to economic and technical regulation to the public utility providers. He implies that this proposed media regulation contravenes the constitution, adding that The Gambia is under the obligation of international and regional treaties, which states that any State Regulation must protect journalistic freedom and independence.
“So in subcontrast, this document did not in any way protect freedom and journalistic independence. So we maintain our position in the paper,” he said.
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