The Department of Information Services in collaboration with the Network of Community Media, a project-funded by the UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar on Wednesday validated the Media Sustainability Policy on the situation of community radios in The Gambia.
The document was developed few years ago by their partner, PerOesterlund from Denmark.
Also, this Support to Sustainability of Community Media in the Gambia" being implemented by the Department seeks to produce a policy framework for the development and sustainability of community media as well as to build capacities of community media personnel and managers.
The validation comes following series of engagements and consultations with key stakeholders and partners, which resulted in the development of a background document on the state of community media in The Gambia.
At the validation held the Khamsys Technologies Ltd in Bijilo, Madam Aisha Davies, Director at the Department of Information Services, confirmed that there are over a dozen radio stations that define themselves as community radio, which she said are all members of the Network of Community Radio, a body established to among other objectives, foster the sharing of good practices.
Madam Davies revealed that the activity came specifically through the project titled; "Journalism and Media," launched in October 2016 and completed in December 2017, being financed as part of the EU Governance Programme, contributing to media reforms in The Gambia.
"The overall objective of this project,' she highlighted "was to contribute to better democratic governance through improving freedom of the press and the quality of information available to the population in The Gambia."
The project, she added, targeted community media, which is a key player in providing quality information to rural populations and youth through media and information literacy.
She indicated that it is against this backdrop that the policy framework was developed to propose modalities and conditions for stable income generation and long-term sustainability for community media in The Gambia.
Also speaking, Amadou Bah, Secretary General of the Network of Community Radios commended the Department of Information Services, NATCOM and UNESCO for the support rendered for the development of the background document.
He noted that the community media exists to meet the needs of the communities, which he believes, would go a long in helping them render their work effectively.
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"We cannot effectively do our work as community media if we are not strengthened both financial and resource wise. Community radio is all about the interest of the community that we serve," he stated.
To ensure that access to information is effected at community levels, he outlined that it is also part of their effort to ensure that they are able to link directly with the state broadcaster during current affairs programmes, especially the core or prime news time to ensure that the community is able to gain the information delivered in their own languages.
For her part, Fatou Njie, programme officer for the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM) applauded the Ministry of Information and the Department of Information Services for the cordial working relations manifested these past years.
The draft policy, she added, would serve and help media regulators and government institutions to provide regulatory environment to recognise the values of community media and support its long-term sustainability.
