Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, recently announced the government’s plan to regulate the media landscape through reforms that will require accreditation for all journalists in The Gambia. Set to be implemented in January, these reforms, if enacted, have the potential to fundamentally alter the media environment in the country.
Such a move raises serious concerns about press freedom. The proposed accreditation system risks undermining the mandate of the Media Council of The Gambia (MCG), the country’s self-regulatory body tasked with promoting professional standards in journalism. The MCG’s core responsibility is to ensure ethical media practice through self-regulation—resolving public complaints, monitoring adherence to the industry-wide code of conduct, and regulating editorial content across all media platforms. Its overarching goal is to foster a media environment trusted by the public.
Core Functions of the MCG
Regulating Media Content: The MCG oversees editorial content across print, radio, television, and online media, ensuring compliance with the national Code of Conduct and ethical standards.
Addressing Public Complaints: The Council provides a no-cost alternative to the courts for individuals or organizations aggrieved by media publications or conduct, with complaints handled by the Ethics Panel.
Promoting Ethical Journalism: The MCG actively works to maintain high professional and ethical standards among journalists and media houses, strengthening public trust in the sector.
Capacity Building and Training: In partnership with journalism training institutions, the Council enhances professional skills and educates media managers, editors, and journalists on ethics and best practices.
Monitoring and Publishing Compliance: The MCG tracks adherence to ethical standards and publicly reports compliance levels across the media landscape.
Advising on Media Development: The Council provides guidance to the government and other authorities on professional education, training, and media law reforms.
Ensuring Independence: As a self-regulatory body, the MCG is designed to safeguard the media from government interference, reinforcing a free and independent press.
Providing Guidance: It offers non-binding advice to media organizations to encourage internal regulation and accountability.
The MCG’s work is grounded in dialogue, fairness, and professionalism, with internal appeal mechanisms available for contested decisions.
Introducing mandatory government accreditation for journalists would directly challenge this framework of self-regulation, raising the risk of state control over who can practice journalism. Such a policy could restrict freedom of expression, weaken independent oversight, and ultimately undermine public trust in the media.
The press plays a vital role in informing citizens, holding power to account, and shaping democratic discourse. Any reform that limits access to the profession or concentrates control over journalistic practice under government authority represents a serious threat to press freedom in The Gambia.
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Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, recently announced the government’s plan to regulate the media landscape…
The post Introduction and Accreditation for All Journalists in The Gambia appeared first on .
