By Ndey Sowe
With support from Wave Gambia, the Ministry of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services officially launched a nationwide campaign to counter misinformation and disinformation on Friday, January 24, 2025.
The event took place at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center, Bijilo. The campaign aims to raise public awareness about the dangers of false information, promote responsible consumption of media publications, and equip citizens with tools to identify and counter misinformation and disinformation. It also seeks to foster peaceful dialogue amidst an increasingly complex information landscape.
Scheduled to run from January 31 to February 6, 2025, the campaign includes a nationwide tour covering all regions and a two-day training program for media practitioners.
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue.
“The urge to launch this campaign against disinformation and misinformation in partnership with Wave Gambia came to the fore as a result of the emergence of new actors and changes in the methods and tactics used to proliferate confusion and promote false narratives online,” he stated.
Dr. Ceesay highlighted the role of social media and other digital platforms in amplifying harmful content, allowing malicious actors to reach vast audiences and sow discord.
Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, Chairperson of the Access to Information Commission, underscored the severe societal impact of misinformation and disinformation.
“The consequences are profound and detrimental, causing divisions, instability, confusion, distortion, and even endangering lives,” she explained.
Citing the 2023 Global Risk Report, Macdouall-Gaye noted that misinformation and disinformation were identified as significant risks, capable of eroding social cohesion and destabilizing trust in information and political processes.
“This growing threat underscores the importance of having a risk mitigation strategy in place,” she added.
Sainabou Sarr, General Manager of Wave Gambia, described the campaign as an opportunity to enhance the dissemination of fact-based information.
“Misinformation and disinformation present significant barriers to accessing accurate information. This persistent and growing phenomenon challenges the credibility of public discourse and impacts the attractiveness of private investment,” she remarked.
Sheriff Saidykhan, Vice President of the Gambia Press Union (GPU), welcomed the initiative, emphasizing its role in empowering citizens to discern factual information from propaganda.
“The Gambia Press Union recognizes the need to tackle the increasing spread of misinformation and disinformation, which has informed several initiatives since 2021 in the form of capacity-building for journalists,” he said.
Saidykhan further stressed the importance of fostering an informed citizenry.
“For an empowered citizenry, understanding the information disorder and identifying misinformation and disinformation provides clarity amidst the significant volume of information shared by stakeholders, including politicians, influential individuals, and social media users,” he concluded.
It is the view of the ministry that this campaign marks a proactive step toward mitigating the risks posed by the spread of false information, reinforcing the importance of credible media and informed public engagement in The Gambia.
