{"id":95162,"date":"2026-03-18T11:26:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/gambian-press-veteran-warns-of-threats-to-freedom"},"modified":"2026-03-18T13:15:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T13:15:44","slug":"gambian-press-veteran-warns-of-threats-to-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/gambian-press-veteran-warns-of-threats-to-freedom","title":{"rendered":"Gambian Press Veteran Warns of Threats to Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"ap-article-header-tag\"> <strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Gambia. <\/strong> <\/span><b>Demba Ali Jawo, a veteran journalist and former information minister, warned on Monday that proposed government policies aimed at regulating journalists and online broadcasters risk undermining press freedom gains made in recent years.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Mr. Jawo said the draft National Press Accreditation Policy for The Gambia and the Broadcasting and Online Content Regulations, 2025, introduced under the government of Adama Barrow, contain elements that could allow authorities to exert greater control over the media.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking on the program Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, Mr. Jawo expressed concern that requiring formal accreditation for journalists could open the door to government interference in newsroom activity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you bring that element of registration within the journalism field, then it appears there is an attempt somehow to control what the journalists do,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we are definitely concerned about that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His comments followed a joint statement issued by several former presidents of the Gambia Press Union rejecting the proposed policies, which they say could erode the independence of the press.Mr. Jawo, who spent decades reporting under the authoritarian government of Yahya Jammeh, said the proposed regulations evoke earlier periods when accreditation requirements, licensing rules, and security vetting were used to restrict journalists\u2019 work.<\/p>\n<p>Having lived through those years, he said, the proposals appear to revive tools once used to control the media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have fought so hard to bring Gambian media to where it is today,\u201d he said. \u201cAny attempt, even a semblance of trying to take us back to those days, is a big worry for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although he is now retired, Mr. Jawo said he felt compelled to speak out because of the potential impact on younger journalists entering the profession.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo amount of draconian law will affect me now,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I cannot sit and watch what we fought for being eroded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also questioned the need for additional government oversight of the media sector, arguing that existing institutions already provide mechanisms for accountability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe media sector is working just fine,\u201d he said, pointing to the work of the Gambia Press Union and the country\u2019s press council in promoting ethical standards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe media, in particular, is better self-regulated than subjected to government intervention,\u201d he added, calling the proposed policies \u201cquite worrisome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-article-footer-note\">Find more news and analyses on <span class=\"ap-highlight-country\">Gambia<\/span> on the <span class=\"ap-highlight-brand\">Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Gambia. Demba Ali Jawo, a veteran journalist and former information minister, warned on Monday that proposed government policies aimed at regulating journalists and online broadcasters risk undermining press freedom gains made in recent years. Mr. Jawo said the draft National Press Accreditation Policy for The Gambia and the Broadcasting and Online Content Regulations, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":95161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-95162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gambian Press Veteran Warns of Threats to Freedom - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"-article-header-tag&quot;&gt; Africa-Press - Gambia. 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