Dear Editor,
News, in its truest form, is verified information of public importance, presented with fairness, balance, and clarity. It is not merely the transmission of events, but the disciplined interpretation of facts. A news story should tell readers what happened, why it matters, and how it affects their lives.
The distinction between information and news rests upon verification. Information is raw data; news is refined truth. The journalist’s task is to test every claim, consult multiple sources, and ensure that what reaches the public has passed through the filter of professional scrutiny.
Fleet Street, the historic heart of British journalism, established the principles that shaped modern news reporting. Editors were not merely headline writers; they were custodians of truth and judgment. They demanded verification, insisted on multiple sources, and viewed accuracy as sacred.
When the Profumo scandal broke in 1963, Fleet Street editors resisted the temptation of gossip. The Times verified every detail before publication, ensuring that what appeared in print could withstand legal and ethical challenge. The story only became news once evidence, testimony, and public accountability aligned. Half a century later, The Guardian reaffirmed this principle during its reporting on Edward Snowden’s revelations. Editors and reporters worked through months of verification and legal consultation before publishing. Every document was checked, every claim substantiated. The result was not haste but history, journalism in service of truth, not trend.
In both cases, editors acted as intellectual gatekeepers, refusing to trade accuracy for speed. Their guiding principle was clear: the first responsibility of the press is to the truth, not to the timeline.
In contrast, Gambian journalism today faces an alarming drift toward unprofessionalism. Many newsrooms have surrendered editorial discipline to the immediacy of social media. Reporters now treat Facebook posts, WhatsApp rumors, and Twitter statements as ready-made stories. The newsroom has become an echo chamber for digital chatter, not a workshop of verification.
Stories often appear in print within minutes of being posted online, without fact-checking, context, or opposing comment. The consequence is predictable: the public receives not journalism, but confusion. Accuracy is sacrificed for attention, and credibility is lost in the rush for visibility.
The rise of online media has worsened this decline. What was once a space for civic enlightenment has turned into a wasteland of fake news, propaganda, and emotional sensationalism. Many self-proclaimed citizen journalists operate without training, ethics, or accountability. They mix facts with rumors, opinions with falsehoods, and publish them as if they were credible reports. The digital sphere, instead of expanding public understanding, has in many cases polluted it.
A recent example illustrates this decay. When a Gambian-born U.S. Army officer, Nanama Keita, called the United Democratic Party “the most toxic political party in the country,” several newspapers published his Facebook post almost verbatim. There was no background, no verification, no response from the party, and no contextual analysis of Keita’s political history. In Fleet Street, such a story would never have reached print in its raw form. An editor would have demanded evidence: what makes the party toxic, what are the facts, and what is the source’s credibility? The story would only appear once both sides were represented and the claim was verified. In The Gambia, however, it appeared instantly, unedited, unchecked, and unbalanced.
It is also necessary to distinguish between news and opinion. Opinion has its place; it is valuable when reasoned, informed, and clearly marked as commentary. But when opinion masquerades as fact, or when a journalist injects personal sentiment into what should be neutral reporting, the line between truth and interpretation disappears. News informs the public; opinion persuades it. Both can coexist, but only if they are properly separated.
Editors are not messengers; they are mediators between truth and public perception. Their role is to question, refine, and balance what reporters bring to the desk. Yet in many Gambian newsrooms, the editor’s role has been reduced to formatting headlines and uploading content. The tradition of the editor as a mentor, investigator, and ethical compass has faded.
To restore credibility, Gambian journalism must rediscover its editorial soul. Verification must return as the foundation of practice. No Facebook post should become front-page news without independent confirmation. No opinion should be presented as fact. The separation of reporting and commentary must once again become the hallmark of a responsible press.
News is not what people say; it is what can be proven. The great editors of Fleet Street understood that a newspaper’s power lies in its integrity, not its immediacy. Gambian media must now learn the same lesson. The future of journalism in The Gambia depends on one simple reform: the revival of editorial discipline. Without verification, there is no news. Without truth, there is no press.
By Kebeli Demba Nyima
