NAQAA: GPU journalism school curriculum in line with expectations

Amadou Jallow (right) said the school’s curriculum ascribes to lifelong learning opportunities and  possibilities of self employment, while Saikou Jammeh (left) and Maimuna Sidibeh (center) listen. (Photo Credit: Sanna Camara)

D.A. Jawo hopes GPU School will contribute to national reconciliation

GPU J-School alumni Adam Jobe, flanked by colleagues Mary Gomez and Zainab Faal, is a winner of the 2015 Technology and Innovation Reporting Award (Photo Credit: M.S.Joof/TNBES/2013)

Taranga FM is back on air, but its news programme is being censored

The FM Station has suffered repeated crackdown from Gambian authorities (Photo taken from CPJ)

GPU triennial congress deferred amid irregularities

Outgoing GPU President Emil Touray, presided over massive irregularities from the beginning, and had unilaterally boycotted a forum meant to discuss way forward for The Gambian media in 2012. (Photo Credit: MSJoof/TNBES/June 2011)

Gambia: Opposition want strategy to end impunity

A Living Mirror, a book on the life of Deyda Hydara by Demba Ali Jawo and Aloe Ahmed Alota (Photo: The Point)

Gambia: Journalists freed of ‘conspiracy’ and ‘false publication’ charges

They were arrested on January 13, 2014, detained beyond the legal limit of 72 hours and put on trial on January 16. They maintained their not guilty plea.  Photo credit: The Point

The Gambia’s human rights under scrutiny: Rights groups raise concerns

Thumbs Down: Rights groups say free expression in Gambia “shrinking” (Photo Credit: MSJoof/TNBES/FPI)

Journalists Trial: ‘Evidence of prosecution witnesses unreliable’

Defence lawyers argue the journalists have no case to answer

Journalist Jobe, Bittaye freed of sedition charges

The deputy editor-in-chief of the Daily Observer newspaper has been imprisoned since his arrest in February 2013. 

Police closes case in trial of journalists

Gambia police harass journalist over human trafficking story

Abuja, Nigeria, July 1, 2014--Gambian police should stop harassing a journalist over a story highlighting human trafficking in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Sanna Camara, a journalist with The Standard, was today summoned to police headquarters in the capital Banjul over a June 27 story titled "Police admit 'problems' with human trafficking," Camara told CPJ. 

ECOWAS court rules Gambia failed to investigate journalist murder

The son of the late journalist Deyda Hydara, in blue, stands outside the ECOWAS court with his lawyers. (CPJ/Peter Nkanga)

CPJ - Abuja, Nigeria, June 10, 2014--The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today's ruling by a West African regional court, which found that the Gambian government failed to conduct a meaningful investigation into the murder of journalist Deyda Hydara. The ruling is the first ECOWAS case relating to the murder of a Gambian journalist.

Hydara, the founder of the independent newspaper The Point, was shot dead by unidentified assailants as he drove home from his office in the capital, Banjul, on December 16, 2004. Hydara, a regular critic of President Yahya Jammeh's harsh policies, had received multiple death threats in the months leading up to his death. His murder remains unsolved.

Calls renewed for Gambia to respect ECOWAS Court decisions

The journalists need a media environment free from intimidation, arbitrary arrests, detention, disappearance, torture, killings and all forms of human rights violations designed to gag the media in The Gambia, the GPU stated. (Photo Credit: Haddija Jawara/Facebook)

The Gambia Press Union, GPU, Saturday renew calls for The Gambia Government to respect two verdicts of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

 

The call was contained in a solidarity statement that strongly condemned the Ethiopian government’s crackdown and jailing of nine journalists and bloggers in April 2014, while calling for their immediate and unconditional release.

Its 1^st Vice President, Baboucarr Ceesay said: “The solidarity statement for jailed Ethiopian journalists and bloggers cannot be concluded without renewing Gambian journalists call on the government of The Gambia to respect the ECOWAS court’s verdict…

GPU condemns jailing of Ethiopian journalists and bloggers

Ethiopia is one of the worst countries for journalists in Africa under the leadership of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn - Ethiopia 2012 - World Economic Forum on Africa 2011 (Photo credit: World Economic Forum)

The Gambia Press Union, GPU, Saturday strongly condemns the Ethiopian government’s crackdown and jailing of nine journalists and bloggers and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

 

The message was part of coordinated efforts through the pan-African journalists’ body, the Federation of African Journalists, FAJ, in solidarity with colleagues in Ethiopia, one of the worst countries for journalists in Africa.

“Our hearts also beat in unison with the hearts of journalists experiencing unthinkable predicaments in Egypt, Somalia and Ukraine.

“…and journalists facing hard times and those who died in their duties in other parts of the world for doing their job and telling truth to power,” says Baboucarr Ceesay, GPU’s 1^st vice president.

USA’s NSA, UK’s GCHQ listed as ‘Enemies of the Internet’

The seal of the U.S. National Security Agency. The first use was in September 1966, replacing an older seal which was used briefly. For more information, see here and here. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Three of the government bodies designated as “Enemies of the Internet” are located in democracies that have traditionally claimed to respect fundamental freedoms, the international press freedom agency, Reporters Without Borders, RSF, has said.

They are the Centre for Development of Telematics in India, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the United Kingdom, and the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States.

RSF said identifying government units or agencies rather than entire governments as Enemies of the Internet “allows us to draw attention to the schizophrenic attitude towards online freedoms” that prevails in some countries.

The 2014 Enemies of the Internet report published on “World day against Cyber censorship” on March 12, stated that the NSA and GCHQ have spied on the communications of millions of citizens including many journalists.

A nurse and journalist who was truly fearless in confronting authority in both Church and State

Mrs Bijou Edith Ernestine Bidwell Nee Peters 1927 – 2014

Bijou Peters (Photo credit: Gamcotrap)

Bijou Edith Ernestine Bidwell Nee Peters was the eldest daughter of the late Mr Lenrie Peters and Mrs Kezia (Broderick) Peters of Bathurst (now Banjul), The Gambia. 

She was born on the 29^th of March 1927 in Freetown, Sierra Leone and educated in her school days at St. Mary’s Anglican Primary School and Methodist Girls High School, under the educationist Mrs Norah Senior, MBE and missionary from Somerset, UK. She was Head Girl and passed the senior Cambridge School Certificate Exam.

She died on February 12, 2014 at 86 years of age. Prayers where held at St. Paul’s Parish Church, Fajara and buried at the Banjul Cemetery on Monday, March 3, 2014.

Court reschedules trial of two journalists in Gambia

The Banjul Magistrates Court on Tuesday rescheduled the trial of Musa S. Sheriff, Editor-In-Chief of The Voice newspaper and Sainey MK Marenah, a freelance journalist.

Both have pleaded not guilty to charges of “conspiracy” and “publication of false news” brought against them by the police over a political defections article published by The Voice on December 6, 2013.

They are expected to reappear in court on February 4, 2014 at 12 pm.

THE GAMBIA: Two journalists deny conspiracy, false news charges

Two journalists in The Gambia have pleaded not guilty to charges of “conspiracy to commit felony” and “publication of false news” brought against them by state authorities on Thursday.
 

With three days of detention, Musa S. Sheriff, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of The Voice newspaper and freelance journalist Sainey M.K. Marenah were arraigned at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court on 16 January.

They have been granted bail in the sum of D20, 000 (about $500) each with one Gambian surety.

Statements issued by media rights groups on the detention of two journalists in The Gambia

• Journalist reporting on refugee issues detained in the Gambia

• The Gambia: Two journalists facing prosecution for conspiracy 

• TWO Gambian journalists unlawfully detained  

• Gambian journalists charged with giving false information

• GPU Statement on Musa Sherrif and Sainey Marenah

GPU calls on Jammeh to reopen The Daily News

GPU Secretary General, Gibairu Janneh, speaks at a Coco Cola-organised media event in Gambia (Photo Credit: MSJoof/TNBES/2013)

The Gambia Press Union, GPU, has on Sunday called on Gambia’s President Yaya Jammeh to reopen the tri-weekly English-language newspaper, The Daily News.

It also welcomes the president’s lifting of the ban on the privately-owned media houses Taranga FM and The Standard newspaper.