By Amadou M Jadama
The Minister of Information and Communications Infrastructure Demba Ali Jawo has called on media owners to guide and engage their staff to avoid the media being used as a platform to promote religious intolerance, harmful traditional practices and other tendencies that could lead to unnecessary conflict in communities.
Jawo made these remarks on Friday during the six-year anniversary celebration and awards ceremony of Star FM Radio, at the Kairaba Beach Hotel.
“The media has an immense role to play in supporting the development agenda of our Government. Citizen engagement is also key to our government’s effort to succeed because the Government can only understand the concerns and aspirations of our citizenry on the back of the media and through your various platforms. You the media are pivotal to ensuring that the communication between the Government and the people of the Gambia is two-way,” he said.
Sara Camara, managing director of Star FM, said his radio’s main desire is to promote and highlight the very best in productions in media from the Gambia with a view to achieving positive development in every sphere of education, business and entertainment in the country and online.
“Our programming team is passionate about delivering listeners the best in radio. At Star FM our programming varied from news, current affairs, everyday information and practical knowledge, community, talk show, lifestyle, entertainment, music and more.”
He added: “I have always valued those central pillars. Star FM Radio provides programs that are informative, entertaining and educational. Star FM Radio is deeply committed to those principles, the same ones many of you like me, have come to rely on through your own life. We are committed to the core broadcast services Star FM Radio has always provided.”
The occasion also awarded media houses, journalists and businesses, notably Alhaji Sarjo Barrow, veteran broadcaster who was awarded for his remarkable role in the development of broadcast journalism in the country.
