By Aminata Kuyateh
In a significant step toward promoting ethical journalism, the Gambia Press Union (GPU) in partnership with International IDEA, recently convened a two-day forum bringing together 40 key stakeholders to review and validate the draft Cherno Jallow Charter of Ethics for Journalists.
Held at the African Princess Hotel, the event formed part of the EU-funded “Consolidation of Democratic Dispensation in The Gambia (CODE)” project, which is being implemented by International IDEA.
The project is designed to strengthen democratic governance and media freedom in the country by promoting participatory, inclusive, and rights-based approaches.
Participants included representatives from journalists’ associations, as well as organisations advocating for the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities.
The inclusive forum sought to ensure the revised Code of Conduct for journalists reflects the evolving ethical challenges facing the media today.
Named after veteran journalist and ethics advocate Cherno Jallow, the Charter outlines standards for journalists across all media platforms—print, radio, television, and digital.
It aims to guide journalists from the process of news gathering to dissemination, with a strong emphasis on ethical integrity, accuracy, and public accountability.
EU Ambassador to The Gambia, Imma Roca I Cortés, highlighted the importance of the initiative in the current media landscape, stressing that the Charter “seeks to respond directly to some of the most pressing ethical challenges facing the media today: hate speech, disinformation, the inclusion of persons with disabilities, and the rapidly evolving impact of artificial intelligence.”
“In today’s digital age, the rapid spread of information, disinformation and misinformation poses unprecedented challenges,” Ambassador Cortés said.
Jainaba Faye, Head of Country Office for International IDEA, described the new Charter as a “forward-thinking framework” designed to equip journalists to uphold the values of fairness, responsibility, and social cohesion.
“Journalists must be equipped to report with fairness, to resist inflammatory rhetoric, and to promote dialogue over division,” she noted, encouraging media professionals to view the Charter as both a safeguard and a tool for professional empowerment.
GPU Vice President Sheriff Saidykhan emphasised the need for a modernised code that meets current demands in the media environment.
“This is a code of conduct that promotes responsible journalism and higher standards of professionalism in the gathering, processing, and dissemination of news and information by journalists in all categories of media,” he said.
The Charter is expected to serve as a foundational ethical framework for journalists in The Gambia, reinforcing the profession’s credibility and its role in safeguarding democracy.
