We support media and journalists in The Gambia

Gambia Media Support (GAMES) is a Danish-based NGO with the stated purpose to promote and support independent and strong media in Gambia. Together with our Gambian colleagues we work to strengthen the capacity, professionalism and quality of the media and their practices, and we support press freedom and media development in general.

Gambia Media Support was founded in 2006 by a group of Danish journalists, photographers, and other media professionals. At the time media and journalists in The Gambia were facing severe oppression by the authoritarian regime controlled by president Jammeh. And The Gambia had no education in journalism. Aspiring journalists were trained on-the-job by reporters, many of whom did not have any formal education in the profession.

Thus, one of the first goals of GAMES and our partner Gambia Press Union was to establish a school of journalism. In 2010, a two-year pilot education in journalism was started with government approval. It paved the way for what was to become the GPU School of Journalism, and in January 2013 the first twenty students started their education at the new school. In 2015, the school changed its name to Media Academy of Journalism and Communication (MAJaC) to reflect that it also offers courses in communication that target NGO’s, companies, and government offices.

Even though The Gambia’s former authoritarian president, Yahya Jammeh, after the December 2016 election was succeeded by the democratically elected Adama Barrow, media and journalists in The Gambia still face challenges. Therefore, GAMES continue to work with Gambia Press Union to support its dual roles as a strong trade union for journalists and communication professionals and as an advocate for media and information freedom in The Gambia.  And with MAJaC we still work to improve education and training of journalists and communicators.

Independence from political, religious, and economic interests

Gambia Media Support is independent from any political, religious, and economic interest or bias. Our work is based on professional and ethical journalistic standards, and we share the view that media and freedom of press are crucially important for democracies.

Economy

Gambia Media Support’s work is funded by public funding, donations, gifts, and membership fees. Most of our projects have received funds from Danida through Civilsamfund i Udvikling (CISU) – Civil Society in Development – an association of Danish CSOs working in development.

Profile

Many of Gambia Media Support’s members work with media, journalism, project management, administration, and/or accounting. Many of the voluntary trainers teach or have taught courses in radio, print or web journalism, editorial leadership, photojournalism, and design, in Denmark and internationally. But there’s also room for members with other skills and backgrounds!

Gambia needs your help! There are many ways to contribute to the organization’s work. You can join as a member, get involved as a volunteer, work as educator in our projects, donate money, donate IT-equipment to Gambian press and much more.