The Gambia Press Union has condemned in the strongest term, the action of the country’s United Democratic Party’s leader describing Pa Nderry Touray, a talk show host of the station as someone who dislikes his party and members of the Mandinka ethnic group.
Addressing new UDP assembly members at his home along Kairaba Avenue on Friday, Ousainou Darboe also accused journalist Touray of trying to cause divisions in his party.
The president of the Gambia Press Union, Muhammed S. Bah raised concern over the comments of the UDP’s leader.
He urged Darboe and all other politicians to desist from such rhetoric targeted at journalists because they incite their supporters to either physically or verbally assault journalists.
In recent years, the GPU has observed and documented a disturbing trend of political rhetoric from political leaders, with others accusing journalists or certain media houses of bias and unfavorable coverage – a stark reminder of how the dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh gradually started its onslaught against the media.
Over the last five years, a good number of physical and verbal assaults on journalists and media professionals recorded in more than 15 incidents were perpetrated by politicians and their supporters, with impunity.
To avoid these attacks on journalists, the GPU has been engaging politicians on an annual basis to discuss the safety of journalists covering and reporting on the activities of their political parties.
The latest of these engagements was held just on March 11, attended by participants from registered political parties and independent candidates.
“The GPU is urging politicians to lead by example in promoting and protecting journalists from verbal attacks that are likely to expose them to further attacks, physically,” Bah said.
“Political party leaders have a responsibility to protect journalists from attacks and must not be seen to be the instigators of verbal or physical attacks against journalists.”
The GPU also urged journalists to respect and uphold their code of conduct, the Cherno Jallow Charter of Ethics for Journalists, and remain apolitical as to avoid any form of bias or other unethical practices that may likely expose them to further risks.