Ngorr,

Thank you, any Gambian that cherishes his or her freedom and that of the
press must expose the ulterior motives of the regime for enacting such a
censorship Bill. The only sinister motive is to stifle the independence and
vibrancy of the private press and subject it to the control of individuals
under the direct influence of the Dictatorship.
Another gloomy chapter for freedom in the Gambia. The free press cannot be
answerable to a press meddling body that the National Media Commission will
be; the free press should only be accountable to the courts of the land for
any charge brought on them either by the State or the ctizenry.
Shame on the APRC!
Down with the dictatorship!
Forever live the independent media!
Down with the National Meddling Commission!
Forever live freedom in the Gambia!

The yoke of oppression must be shattered!

BMK


>From: Ngorr Ciise <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Gambian Private Media in a Spot of Bother - The Independent
>Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 09:25:56 +0000
>
>It is seems that Yaya would engage in all sorts of shenanigans to keep
>Gambians, especially Gambians residing abroad who rely so much on
>invaluable
>private medium like The Independent and The Point for reliable and factual
>reportages of things happening inside that country, in the Dark Ages. This
>time around, in his further silly bids to muzzle the private media, the
>idiot has resorted to retrogressive legislative fiats to control what
>Gambians can read in the newspapers and or hear broadcasted in the airwaves
>in the private media. This he hopes to achieve through retrogressive
>legislative fiats like the proposed Media Commission Bill. Yaya shall
>ultimately fail: in this age of "the death of distance", 24 hour news
>wires,
>and the Internet, you cannot possibly sit on damaging infomation for no
>more
>than, well, 24 hours. Let the moron get that into his thick skull, which,
>BTW gets thicker by the seconds.
>
>
>_______________________
>
>Government Moves to Control Press: Media Commission Bill Before National
>Assembly
>
>
>
>Email This Page
>
>Print This Page
>
>
>
>The Independent (Banjul)
>
>April 15, 2002
>Posted to the web April 15, 2002
>
>PK Jarju
>Banjul
>
>The National Media Commission Bill is expected to be enacted today into law
>by members of the National Assembly.
>
>According to a draft copy of the Bill signed by the then Secretary of State
>for Works Communication and Information Edward Singhateh and circulated to
>all Assembly, it was prepared in accordance with section 210 of the 1997
>constitution, which calls for its establishment.
>
>With the government as the initiator of the Bill, it is widely expected
>that
>APRC members of the National Assembly would vote massively for its
>enactment.
>
>If enacted, the Bill would provide a code of conduct for journalists and
>set
>standards as to the content and quality of materials for publication or for
>broadcast by the media. The Bill also includes provision for the
>registration of practising media practitioners and media organizations.
>
>It will also empower the proposed Commission to ensure the impartiality,
>professionalism and independence of the media, promote the establishment
>and
>maintenance of the highest journalistic standards in the mass media,
>facilitate the registration of newspaper journals and broadcasting stations
>in accordance with the constitution.
>
>According to the Bill the proposed media Commission will also be mandated
>to
>consider and determine complains from aggrieved individuals, bodies,
>corporate against media practitioners and media organisations over the
>content of any broadcast, newspaper or other information transmitted via
>the
>mass media. This is supposedly to ensure and protect the rights and
>privileges of media practitioners including those employed by the state in
>the execution of their professional duties.
>
>The Bill also proposed that the Commission would be given powers such as
>that of summoning witnesses to its inquiry into a complaint whilst
>witnesses
>are conferred with legal immunity for any evidence they may give before it
>in an inquiry.
>
>In order to buttress the Commission in its work, the Bill also makes
>provision for an executive secretary and support staff as the Commission
>and
>its staff is provided with legal immunity against civil actions for
>anything
>done in the course of their functions. The Bill further recommends that
>media practitioners who are not registered with professional media
>organizations should register directly with the Commission whilst those
>registered with media organizations shall have their names forwarded to the
>Commission by those organisations.
>
>According to the Bill the Commission can order a media practitioner to
>apologize to a complainant and where found appropriate shall order that
>media practitioner to publish or broadcast an apology to that complainant.
>In order to give credence to this the Commission may publish the name of a
>media practitioner reprimanded or fined it stipulates.
>
>The Bill also lists some offences relating to willful, negligent or
>reckless
>publication of false news, whilst there are also penalty provisions for
>contravention of the Bill and shall make regulations with the approval of
>the Secretary of State.
>
>Meanwhile The Gambia Press Union and members of civil society have
>expressed
>concern over the powers to be conferred on the Commission which they
>described as a tribunal without any legal knowledge that can fine and
>imprison journalists. They also criticised the idea of press registration,
>which they argued could be used to deny license to many potential
>journalists. The GPU particularly condemned what it calls many other
>draconian provisions, which form part of the Bill, and vows to mount a
>legal
>challenge in court.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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