Believed to be the fastest growing newspaper, an independent private Gambian owned newspaper The Daily News that comes tri-weekly both in print and online on 6 April, 2011 celebrated its second year anniversary at its head office at Churchill town, 65 Kombo Sillah Drive in Kanifing Municipality.
Daily News was founded by Mr. Madi MK Ceesay a renowned Gambian journalist, a Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) 2006 award, and a former president of The Gambia Press Union (GPU).
Saikou Jammeh Editor-in-Chief of Daily News, contributor of the Africa Voice News paper published in Ireland, United Kingdom (UK) cum IIJ ALUMNI was awarded as the best columnist with a cash prize of D500.00, while Binta A. Bah as the best reporter of Daily News with cash amount of D1000.00. Mr. Aloe Ahmed Alota executive director of the Gambia Press Union was the chief judge for the award.
“Despite entering a crowded newspaper market, Daily News quickly established itself as the primary source of information in almost all aspect of The Gambia’s development thanks to the strict adherence our motto: Factual, Reliable and Authoritative,” Editor-in-Chief, Saikou Jammeh said making a statement shortly before been awarded. .
He continued, ”Today – two year on The Daily News stands out as a major provider of Gambia’s economic, social, political, cultural and sports news without compromising our editorial independence over the choice of issues to address and approaches to adopt,”
According to Jammeh, the paper, aside from the timely reportage of daily occurrences, it incorporated a number of innovations. Notable is the introduction of columns such as Kaabefo, Youth Platform, Business Matters, Health, Environment, Human Rights, women’s Bantaba, Matters of the Heart, Religion and Kissykissymansa, among others columns in the paper.
Therefore, one of the many functions of the media is to unravel everyday complex behavior for the benefit of our society. In this regard, he said both the state and non state actors should partner with media.
Editor-in-Chief Jammeh remarked that there is a need to those in the frontline of public communication to open their doors for the tax payers to know what they are doing on their behalf saying that is how a responsive society operates, in addition, transparency should be the order of the day, as he puts it, “There is no excuse to hide information.”
Daily News, he says “because of our uncompromising commitment to journalistic integrity, has seen the paper grow into a powerful voice bringing to the public and the world the untold stories of the country and beyond.”
He, therefore, remarked that journalists, like all citizens, must be accorded all the protection of the law in the country that they are proud to call their own stating that this is where they (journalists), are born and where they belong going further explaining that that there is no other place in the world they can identify themselves be passionately.
“In all countries, citizens, including journalists, look forward to their government’s protection; to sleep in peace in the comfort of their homes and leave for and from their work places with the firm belief nothing excessive will happen to them. This is the kind of Gambia we deserve to live in,” Jammeh debunk.
Manager of Daily News, Mr. Bakary Sanneh said that Daily News is an independent newspaper, which has no political leaning but affords fair and balance presentation of news and views to its varied readership across the globe.
According to him, the birth of the paper has led to an unprecedented purveying of unfitted information which Gambian public has been denied for too long.
He says “We promise to remain a factual, reliable and authoritative newspaper and improve on other journalistic aspects for best practice and standard – a promise we are sure of fulfilling.”
He stated that since inception, the paper has grown from strength to strength as the paper started as a bi-weekly paper, but now extended its frequency to trice a week when it was six months old.
“While we are expecting to improve on our work, I am proud to say that the feed back we are receiving from the general public is that Daily News stands out a major provider of unfettered and balanced news in all aspect of national and international developments,” Sanneh said.
In her vote of thanks, Ms. Maimuna Jallow says “big 'Thank You' to Madam Bijou Peters for her efforts towards casting our young journalist minds on the challenges of the journalism amidst the critical environment that we journalist operate in this country.
“I must mention our deep sense of appreciation for Mr. Swaebou Conateh, Managing Editor of News and Report Weekly Magazine, for his explanation of the impact of The Daily News on the media landscape of The Gambia and what the future holds for this fast growing paper.”
She also took the take opportunity to place on record their hearty thanks to NATCOM/UNESCO for the perfect logistic support and guidance rendered to The Daily News, the United States Embassy, and British High Commission all in Banjul for their enormous cooperation.
By doing justice to her vote of thanks, she recognised, and thanked colleagues from other media houses; Foroyaa, The Point, Daily Observer, Standard, Today, The Gambia Info, The Gambia News& Report, The Voice, Market Place and Jollof News Online.
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