Chei, looks like some folks would run over their Grandmother for a title or
a few bucks.  Wow!


Bakary Njie Defends Media Bill, Tells Nams It's a Blessing to Table It



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The Independent (Banjul)

May 10, 2002
Posted to the web May 10, 2002

Pk Jarju
Banjul

The Secretary of State for Communication, Information and Technology Bakary
Njie has described his task to table the Media Commission Bill before the
National Assembly as a great blessing.

Going against the groundswell of media outrage over the Bill, Mr. Njie said
last week that he was introducing it before the National Assembly with an
open and sober mind, heartened by what he called the appropriateness of
having a Media Commission bent on improving the standard of journalism in
The Gambia.

Mr. Njie who was making a debut appearance in the Assembly said as the one
responsible for information and communication he felt very proud to be
associated with the Bill which according to him is aimed at reviving and
setting the standard of Gambian journalism, which in recent years 'has been
left to decay and to be disrespected without serious attempt to
professionally address it'.He said the low standard of journalism as
practised by local journalists gives justified rise to concerns from the
government which has deemed it necessary to impose regulations ensuring the
protection of innocent people from character-assassinations and intimidation
allegedly by a handful of individuals 'who allowed themselves to be used
against the principles of their noble profession'.

Reacting to comments made by the minority leader and member for Serrekunda
Central Halifa Sallah over the implications of the Bill on people's freedom
and its negation of democratic principles which should have compelled the
government to embark on persuasive measures instead of punitive measures,
SOS Njie stated that he was being protective and defensive on behalf of
journalists and the citizenry whose protection in respect of the proposed
Commission are being ensured by the government.

'Some one because of some personal reasons can just jump and write something
just to tarnish the image of innocent people in the society' he asserted. He
said despite the establishment of The Gambia Technical Training Institute
and TheGambia Telecommunication and Multi Media Institute to teach
technical, electronic, civil engineering, telecommunications, computing,
information technology etc no single journalism course is being offered to
encourage young Gambians to become professional journalists.

He posited that as 'everybody in the country is a journalist', there is a
great comparison with freedom of the press in other countries. He said in
the run-up to last year's presidential elections false information were
being spread that it would turn violent, frightening some diplomatic
agencies into evacuating their staff.

Also reacting to Hamat Bah's prediction that the Media Bill would end up
with the same fate as the law on skin bleaching, SOS Njie stated that
claimed that the latter law has worked effectively and has raised
consciousness and self-discipline among women to such an extent that
'lerral' has been found more appropriate.

He assured members of the press that the intention of the Bill is not to
engage the press to attract the intervention of the international community
but to increase the professionalism of journalists. He said a visit to
private media houses would immediately follow on the heels of his recently
concluded tour of government institutions. He said the essence is for him to
interact and impress upon pressmen and women that the government is a
positive partner in the drive to bring Gambian journalism to standard.






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