The Press or Media is a Tool to Amplify the Voices of the People – Madi Jorbateh

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

Awa B. Bah

18 May 2011

“The role of media in a modern society is not only limited to reporting and analyzing specific events. Journalists are also opinion builders in their own right. By tracing and critically analyzing new trends and tendencies in society, a free media provides decision makers with invaluable information, thereby ensuring quality of legislation”, says Madi Jorbateh.

Jorbateh made these remarks at the Gambia Press Union while lecturing a group of journalists on the role of the media and development.

He said development is an inalienable human right; that it is about human beings as the owners of the resources and wealth of nations that it is about how citizens benefit, own and manage the resources of their country. He said a country’s development is based on four basic human rights principles Participation, Empowerment, Non-discrimination, and Accountability.

He pointed that a free press therefore is a determinant of the extent of freedom of speech in society. Where there is a free press, there is also a free and open society. Conversely, he said a muzzled press is a reflection of an oppressive society which is usually characterized by fear and discontentment, adding that the struggle for liberty and democracy has always utilized the press as a tool which can be seen in the histories of liberation struggles around the world.

He said The Gambia Constitution Section 207 on freedom and responsibility of the media is guaranteed and the freedom and independence of the press and other information media are hereby guaranteed. He said the press and other information media shall at all times be free to uphold the principles, provisions and objectives of this Constitution, and the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people of The Gambia. He also cited Section 208 on the responsibility of State-owned media; all state owned newspapers, journals, radio and television shall afford fair opportunities and facilities for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinion.

Jobarteh asserted that all democratic constitutions and governments respect protect and fulfill the rights of the media UDHR – Article 19: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. ACHPR – Article 9: “Every individual shall have the right to receive information. Every individual shall have the right to express and disseminate his opinions within the law”. Ecowas Treaty – Article 66: “To maintain within their borders, and between one another, freedom of access for professionals of the communication industry and for information sources; To ensure and respect for the rights of journalists; To promote and encourage dissemination of information in indigenous languages, strengthening co-operation between national press agencies and developing linkages between them”

Mr. Madi Jobarteh revealed that the Primary role of the Media is to hold the Government, (i.e. all the three arms of the State) accountable to the people, Promote accountability and transparency, Ensure professionalism, ethics and integrity in the public sector; Promote peace building and national cohesion and the development and sharing of knowledge; Holds the people and their associations accountable to the government as well and to the members of society as a whole, influences public policy and encourages popular participation and in decision making and choice by the people.

Jorbateh quoted Salim Ahmed Salim, Board Member of the Foundation and former OAU boss who said ‘We must ensure that the political side of governance in Africa is not neglected. We have seen from evidence and experience across the world that discrepancies between political governance and economic management are unsustainable in the long term. If Africa is going to continue to make progress we need to pay attention to the rights and safety of citizens.’

Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery. A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself. The power to mould the future of the Republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations.”

On the Media shortcomings Madi said, the role and importance of the media cannot be over emphasized, it is also true that there have been excesses of the media which have caused violence and hatred in many societies. However as Nelson Mandela noted, these are still no excuse to muzzle the press.

The media has a variety of tasks, to investigate who determines our budget and how is it spent. Do you know how much GRA collects annually? Do you know how much KMC or BCC or BAC collects and spends? Asked Jobarteh.

He said that if there is no media, many branches will fall .The media he said upsets us when we read about politicians who are forced to resign because of corruption. But at the same time we should also be grateful that such information is published and reaches the public. He mentioned the 1974 so-called Watergate scandal which he said eventually forced American president Richard Nixon to resign. This was mainly the result of efforts by two journalists at the Washington Post, he said. What if they had lived in a country where they had not been allowed to pursue that story? What if, during their investigative work, they had been told by their editor-in-chief that they should stop their work immediately because the president is above criticism? He asked

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