Information:
There are over a dozen mass media institutions in the
Gambia from broadcasters to the privately owned newspapers
which are The
Point, Daily Observer, Foroyaa Newspaper, Today
Newspaper, The Standard, and the Gambia Daily. The News
and Report is a weekly magazine.
The press has covered the presidential and National
Assembly elections of the second Republic and all
local government elections.
History:
Under British colonial rule in the 19th century the
Bathurst Times was established in 1871 and closed down
in 1874. The Bathurst Observer and the West African
Gazette started in 1883 and ceased in 1888 while the
Gambia Intelligencer was founded 1896.
In 1922 Edward Francis Small established a newspaper
called the Outlook focusing on issues that addressed
subjects relevant to national and workers interest and
fighting for the struggle for independence.
In the early 50's The Vanguard newspaper was set up
which was edited by the late M.B. Jones.
William Charles Dixon Colley, a renown Gambian journalist,
started press publication call The Nation in the early
60's to fight against corruption in the former regime;
The Torch, founded and edited by Sanna Manneh; The Echo,
The New Gambia founded by Ba M. Trewally and Africa
Nyaato come into being. Sam Sarr, Halifa Sallah and
Sedia Jatta set up Foroyaa Newspaper around 1979; in
1990 the Daily Observer came into being, established
by Kenneth Y. Best, from Liberia followed by The Point
Newspaper in 1991 jointly own by Pap Saine, Baboucarr
Gaye and the late Deyda Hydara. The News and Report
magazine, edited by Swaebou Conateh, came into being
in 1992. The state owned Gambia Daily was set up in
1994. The Inquirer newspaper edited Musa S. Sheriff
in 1999 and The Independent Newspaper edited by Baba
Galleh Jallow in 1999.
Edited and summarised from:
chss.iup.edu/certj/buya007.htm
chss.iup.edu/certj/cees07.htm |
