Adam Posluns <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > From: Adam
Posluns <[log in to unmask]>
To: "[log in to unmask] org (E-mail)" <[log in to unmask]>
CC: Everyone <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: CPJ NEWS: GAMBIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES
REPRESSIVE BILL
Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 18:29:09 -0400
NEWS FROM THE COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS
For more information: Yves Sorokobi, (212)465-1004,
ext. 112,
[log in to unmask];
or Adam Posluns, (212)465-1004, ext.107,
[log in to unmask]
THE GAMBIA: New press law would force journalists to
reveal sources
New York, May 6, 2002-The Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ) is gravely
concerned by the recent passage of the National
Media Commission Bill 2002,
a pernicious piece of legislation that would give a
state-dominated
commission the right to license journalists and
force reporters to reveal
confidential sources.
Over the past year, Gambian journalists have made
successful efforts to
regulate themselves. During the run-up to last
October's presidential
elections, for example, the Gambia Press Union
adopted a code of conduct for
journalists. Partly as a result, the political
coverage was some of the most
balanced in the country's history.
Shortly after the election, local authorities
arrested the owners of the
Gambia's only independent news broadcasters and
closed down Citizen FM, one
of the country's most popular radio stations.
Another journalist was
arrested and tortured after he reported that
thousands of non-citizens had
been illegally registered in order to vote for
President Yahya Jammeh.
Local journalists believe that the current bill is
part of an ongoing
government effort to silence domestic criticism in
order to improve the
country's international image.
The Gambian Parliament passed the bill on May 2, the
eve of World Press
Freedom Day. It is currently awaiting the signature
of President Jammeh.
"The National Media Commission bill is a disaster,"
said CPJ executive
director Ann Cooper. "If it becomes law, the
Gambian government will decide
who gets to be a journalist, and journalists
themselves will not have the
ability to protect their sources. We call on
President Jammeh to reject the
bill."
The bill establishes a National Media Commission
with jurisdiction over
complaints against journalists. The commission can
summon journalists to
reply to complaints and is further empowered to
force journalists to reveal
their sources. The president of the commission is to
be appointed by the
president of Gambia.
The bill requires all journalists in the Gambia to
register with the
commission, whose wide-ranging powers include the
ability to close down
media companies, impose exorbitant fines on
journalists, and jail
journalists for contempt.
The commission will issue one-year, renewable
licenses to journalists and
media organizations. Organizations and journalists
that do not register will
be subject to a fine of no less than 5,000 dalasis
(US$278). Individual
journalists who fail to pay this fine can be
suspended for nine months.
Media organizations can be suspended for three
months.
The commission can issue warrants for the arrest of
any journalist who
ignores a summons to appear before it. The
commission will also be
responsible for formulating a journalistic code of
ethics.
A similar draft bill was introduced last year but
was shelved after a leaked
copy sparked vigorous protests by journalists and
human rights groups.
Gambian journalists have lobbied hard against this
latest effort to restrict
their work. On May 3, journalists protested the
bill's passage on the
streets of the capital, Banjul. The Gambia Press
Union says it intends to
pursue legal action in order to have the bill
declared unconstitutional.
Many local journalists have already indicated that
they will not abide by
the new law.
The National Media Commission Bill is the second
highly restrictive media
bill passed in Africa in recent months. In
mid-March, the Zimbabwean
Parliament passed the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act,
which also created a state commission to accredit
journalists.
For more information about press conditions in the
Gambia, visit
<www.cpj.org>. CPJ is a New York-based, independent,
nonprofit organization
that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Everything you'll ever need on one web page
from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts
http://uk.my.yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
