Under the regime of former president Jammeh impunity was the order of the day. Journalists were killed, made to disappear, arrested, detained without trial or imprisoned for what they have written or said, forced into exile, tortured, harassed and because of this hostile atmosphere self-censorship became the order of the day. Media houses or houses of media practitioners were either set on fire or closed on no legal ground.
After the victory of the coalition at the December 1 2016 polls, but especially after the swearing in of President Barrow, there was a sigh of relief. The population felt liberated and presumed that they can freely express themselves. They did not wait for any declaration or enactment of law. They simply proceeded and expressed themselves and the media also did the same.
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