Gambia Press Union Secretary General Says Government Is Leading Source of Misinformation

By Fatou Sillah

The secretary general of the Gambia Press Union, Modou S. Joof, sharply criticized the government’s approach to combating misinformation, saying in a radio interview that official actors are, in fact, the country’s primary source of false and misleading information.

Speaking to West Coast Radio, Mr. Joof said recent regulatory efforts, including a new media policy, have failed to meaningfully address the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

“The regulations as they are put do not in any way curb misinformation or disinformation,” he said. “We have to be frank about this—the government is the biggest spreader of misinformation and disinformation.”

Mr. Joof argued that journalists themselves are not typically the originators of false information but can inadvertently amplify it without adequate training. He said the union has intensified efforts to equip reporters with tools to identify and counter misleading narratives, particularly ahead of elections.

“What we can do, what the Gambia Press Union has done to curb misinformation and disinformation, has been to train several journalists on these issues, how to identify misinformation and how to debunk it, how to identify hate speech and how to tackle it,” he said.

He pointed to reforms in the journalists’ code of conduct and initiatives such as Fact Check Gambia, a project run by the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication. The initiative monitors public statements by influential figures, including politicians, and publishes fact-checks to challenge false claims.

“Fact Check Gambia regularly tracks public statements of influential people, including politicians, and debunks misinformation,” he said.

During the country’s most recent elections, Mr. Joof said, the union and its partners worked to counter misinformation in real time.

“Before, during, and after the elections, we debunked both misinformation and disinformation in real time, which was commendable internationally,” he said. “That is how you curb misinformation.”

Addressing disinformation more broadly, Mr. Joof emphasized the need for greater public awareness and media literacy.

“If you want to curb disinformation, increase awareness about media literacy,” he said.