EU Delegation The Gambia – supporting media in democratic transition

The Gambia, October 2017 – Media4Democracy is working with the EU Delegation in The Gambia to support the expansion of media and free expression, as the country goes through rapid democratisation after 22 years of authoritarian rule.

Amidst a rapid liberalisation of the media sector, Media4Democracy with the EU Delegation has completed an assessment to understand how to support sustainable pluralistic media and information systems shaped by a legacy of decades of undemocratic rule.

Supporting sustainable pluralistic media

The month-long 360-degree freedom of expression and information “ecosystem mapping” engaged a wide range of media, government and international officials and organization in the capital as well as local leaders and media works at provincial radio stations and citizens in more remote areas.

The assessment moved beyond a standard media landscape assessment, considering the political, economic and power forces that control access to information in the transitional justice context; factors that influence message and information flow; how citizens access, demand, trust and act on information.

The results of this assessment will be released in Banjul in February 2018 to complement significant actions underway.