Ousman Bah, a native of Kampanti, Foni Kansala District decried the bad state of journalism in the country, stressing that the media land scape has been polarized to an extent that even Disc Jokers (DJs) have turned into journalist.
He made this wild allegation at Bwiam where the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) held its second phase of public consultation to discuss with the Gambian masses on the Draft Constitution that was published on the 15th November, 2019.
“I heard that the CRC has now empowered journalists in the draft Constitution; true, the media needs to be empowered in the country. But unfortunately, journalism has now being use to a point where DJs have become practicing journalists,” Ousman Bah stated.
Bah continued to say that where DJs assume the role of a journalist, he wonders if the public would be fed with correct and accurate information.
“How can we have accurate information about our nation, where DJs are now the journalists,” he questioned.
According to him, if government is to grant freedom of the press, journalists must also be ready to feed the public with accurate information, noting that misinforming the public with sensational information is a recipe of violence in the society.
“I am appealing to the commissioners of this commission to also make laws that will incriminate journalists for misinforming the public. A lot of journalists are bent on misinforming the public and the President of The Gambia Press Union and his team doing nothing about it but if we have a law that will incriminate journalists that will be welcoming,” Bah told CRC Commissioners.
He added: “You will never see the reaction of the President of the Gambia Press Union making comments against misinformation and false news but when you beat a journalist you will see him jumping up and down trying to defend journalists for their own crimes.”
Bah finally stated that what he want to see in the new constitution is any journalist who fed the public with wrong information to be prosecuted, adding that this will bring sanity in the media landscape of the country.