President Barrow of The Gambia recently held a dinner for media leaders. Some people said it was a big deal. But there have been events like this before.
In 1994, the old president Jammeh also had a meeting with the media. He told them to point out the government's mistakes. But soon after, he started to arrest and hurt journalists. Their media companies were often shut down.
When President Barrow took over in 2017, he also promised the media would be free. However, since then, his government has threatened and attacked journalists a lot. They have been arrested and taken to court for no good reason. Radio stations have been closed briefly as well.
The law says the media should hold the government responsible for the people. The president must protect the media's rights. A dinner is not needed for this to happen. The government just needs to follow the constitution.
Right now, many journalists are facing charges that never go to court. The government took their phones. Some journalists even won court cases, saying the government owed them money, but they still have not been paid.
The Gambia Press Union and all journalists need to know their legal duties. They are just as important as the president and the courts. They do not owe anyone favors.
Fancy dinners and talks are nice. But what really matters is that everyone does their job under the law. The government is not doing that yet, and there is no excuse for it.
The people who went to the president's dinner have a duty to tell the truth. We should also know how much money was spent on the fancy event.
In 1994, the old president Jammeh also had a meeting with the media. He told them to point out the government's mistakes. But soon after, he started to arrest and hurt journalists. Their media companies were often shut down.
When President Barrow took over in 2017, he also promised the media would be free. However, since then, his government has threatened and attacked journalists a lot. They have been arrested and taken to court for no good reason. Radio stations have been closed briefly as well.
The law says the media should hold the government responsible for the people. The president must protect the media's rights. A dinner is not needed for this to happen. The government just needs to follow the constitution.
Right now, many journalists are facing charges that never go to court. The government took their phones. Some journalists even won court cases, saying the government owed them money, but they still have not been paid.
The Gambia Press Union and all journalists need to know their legal duties. They are just as important as the president and the courts. They do not owe anyone favors.
Fancy dinners and talks are nice. But what really matters is that everyone does their job under the law. The government is not doing that yet, and there is no excuse for it.
The people who went to the president's dinner have a duty to tell the truth. We should also know how much money was spent on the fancy event.
