(Derfor: Giv en god historie i julegave! Ved at give et medlemskab til en, så måske kunne finde på at læse en nyhed som den her, er du med til at oplyse om alt det fede, de og vi laver i Gambia)
Af Lars Møller
De havde en fest i Gambia her i weekenden – med årets prisuddeling til National Journalism Award, Gambias svar på Pulitzer- og Cavlingprisen.
10 priser blev uddelt til de bedste journalistiske produkter, en pris til Årets Journalist og to priser, The Press Freedom Hero Awards, til årets pressefriheds-helte.
Kvinderne fører an
I seks ud af 10 kategorier er det kvinderne, der vinder. Juryen kalder det ”en monumental præstation, at de kvindelige journalister igen i år har indtaget førstepladsen i årets prisuddelinger”.
Selv om kvinderne er et mindretal på redaktionerne, udgør kvindelige journalister halvdelen af alle nominerede.
Årets Journalist blev da også en kvinde, Mariam Sankanu. Hun er den eneste reporter, der er nomineret i tre forskellige kategorier: Menneskerettigheder, Lovgivning og retspolitik foruden Undersøgende journalistik. Hun vandt de første 10 kategorier, og brillierede som nomineret med den undersøgende journalistik.
Juryen hyldede hende ”for sit mod og sin styrke, når hun konfronterer historier, der ikke er for sarte sjæle. Hendes historier er ikke bare fyldt med fakta og smukke beskrivelser, det er historier, der sætter dagsordenen i Gambia.”
GPU hæver baren
Det er fantastisk at se, hvordan GPU, ved at sætte spotlight på landets bedste fra journalistik, baner vejen for ikke bare mere god journalistik, men også for endnu bedre journalistik. Det gælder ikke bare reporting, men også grafisk visualisering, god presseskik og konstruktiv journalistik.
”Vi er imponeret over den måde, hvorpå online historier gør god brug af forklarende billeder eller visuals, hvilket efterlader læseren hooked selv på indlæg, der angiveligt er lange. Hvad der er endnu mere opmuntrende, er det faktum, at ingen etisk vejviser af betydning er blevet brudt. Hvor tilsidesættelsen af god presseskik førhen var et evindeligt problem, har noget lignende ikke manifesteret sig i år”, lyder det fra juryen.
Gamle kampfæller er årets helte
Jeg blev særligt rørt af årets pressefrihedshelte, de begge har fortjent prisen. Jeg mødte første gang Emil Touray i 2005, da han sad i bestyrelsen for GPU. Det var året efter Deyda Haydara var blevet skudt af diktatorens bøller, og det var ikke ufarligt at kæmpe for pressefriheden.
Emil Touray var i den grad med til at forme dannelsen af GAMES. Et par år efter ledte han en kampagne for at få syv fængslede GPU-medlemmer og andre journalister ud af fængslet, og få år efter var han selv forperson gennem mange svære og farlige år. Han blev fængslet i månedsvis uden dom.
Samtidig har han arbejdet for lovreformer, han har rejst sager mod diktatoren ved den vestafrikanske menneskerettighedsdomstol, og han har været pennefører for den lov om offentlighed i forvaltningen, der endelig blev gennemført efter diktatorens fald.
Det samme gælder en anden kampfælde, journalisten og juristen Madi Jobarteh, som GAMES også arbejdede sammen med siden den spæde begyndelse, før GAMES blev stiftet. Madi arbejdede utrætteligt i menneskerettigheds- og retshjælps-organisationen FLARE og blev siden direktør i TANGO, paraplyorganisationen ”The Association of NGO’s”.
OG VINDERNE AF DE 10 KATEGORIER ER:
1. Human Rights Reporting
Mariam Sankanu
Title of story: Jammeh’s last victim – or not
• With simple English, the story is well written and understandable despite being an in-depth piece
• Reporter brilliantly employs the power of compelling narrative techniques to leave the reader yearning for more
• Informative and factual reporting – getting insights and perspectives of the relevant stakeholders
• More importantly, the story has so much relevance as questions continue to be asked of the fate/welfare of Jammeh-era victims and the pursuit of justice for several people since the fall of dictatorship in 2016
2. Legal Affairs Reporting
Mariam Sankanu
Title of story: How Dr Banja sold a flourishing career for 50,000 Dalasi
• In just a short single headline, the very essence of the story has been captured
• Reporter, without using any ambiguous courtroom jargons, gives comprehensive account of the corruption case against Dr Bamba Banja
• Not only accurate, but all the facts surrounding the case are established through objective and balanced reporting with (both prosecution and defence) adequately taken into consideration
• Story offers a detailed timeline of the well-publicized corruption case from start to finish
3. Security Reporting
Momodou Lamin Choi
Title of story: Recent high-profile crimes across the country
• Reporter walks us through the dangerous security situation in the country in a comprehensive way
• Blends quality images with insightful reporting
• Through the story, the public’s attention is drawn to inter-gang clashes, which until now is rarity in the Gambia
• The story’s timing and relevance point to the sense of urgency required to tackle head on the high spate of serious crimes
• It doesn’t stop at reporting the problems, but also the measures being taken by the police to nip in the bud such crimes and criminal gangs
4. Environment Reporting
Maimuna Bah
Title of story: Gambia Sand mining
• Good angling
• Reporter beams light on an issue that seems to be going down the radar despite the serious hazards it poses to society
• Use of drone footage is a mark of innovation that shows the extent of the problem at hand
• Plain and simple language used thereby establishing clarity
• Makes use of subtitles even where English is spoken
• Aside from an enriching content that caters for an expert source, reporter draws offers context by drawing parallels with youth unemployment and their involvement in sand mining
5. Migration & Trafficking
Momodou S Jallow
Title of story: Grief-stricken communities mourn the death of a dozen youths
• A catchy opening that leaves the audience on the edge
• The mood and tone used by the reporter speak to the tragedy at hand
• The piece to camera at the river site brings credibility to the reporting with the reporter also navigating his way to the communities that were hit hard
• Well researched and beautifully presented
• Authoritative reporting that relies on facts including names and communities and other vital information provided by Mauritanian authorities
• Balanced reporting that involving the all the major stakeholders in irregular migration: frustrations of the community people, the policy stance of government, immigration officials and the people who embark on these trips
• Provides context to the alarming rise in irregular migration as well as vital statistics at the global level
6. Health Reporting
Nyima Sillah
Title of story: Heart Failure – a silent killer in Gambia
• The headline is clear, simple and straight to the point
• An excellent piece of journalistic writing dovetailing substance and style
• Makes use of very good images that are captioned and blurred in line with the ethics of medical reporting
• Reporter engages not just families of heart patients but a heart specialist and health care executives
• Goes as far as referencing the Gambia’s health policy 2021-2030 offering insights to the country’s underfunded health financing despite the ‘positive trends in resource allocation to the public health sector
7. Agriculture Reporting
Maimuna Bah
Title of story: Salt intrusion ravaging Gambia’s rice fields
• Reporter dives into a concerning problem area with precision and brevity
• Tells the story through the lens of poor and vulnerable women in need of a platform to amplify their voices
• Shows initiative by travelling down to the rice fields to meet and talk to the women
• Solutions journalism at work!
8. Women’s Reporting
Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
Title of story: Spotlight: Ida Faal smashing down gender barriers in coveralls
• Inspiring headline to begin with
• Story is well written aside from good angling
• Good diction and creativity (well packaged)
• Through the story, the reporter draws the attention of his readership to the sort of stereotypes women face in their quest to make their mark on fields widely seen as the preserve of men
9. Sports Reporting
Alieu Ceesay
Title of story: Failed dreams in Gambian football lead to a tragic exodus
• The story’s opening is captivating as much as it is informative
• Excellent journalistic piece combining powerful narratives in well-structured sentences
• The story’s importance goes beyond words, but offers insights into a worrying trend that could backpedal the talent pool in our football into the wilderness
• Beautiful storytelling with techniques in the final analysis
10. Tourism, Arts, Entertainment and Culture
Mam Nabou Kah
Title of story: ‘Murr’: A traditional marriage ceremony
• The reporter exhibits spellbinding storytelling with flair and supreme creativity to explain traditional Wolof wedding
• Being an arts and entertainment category, the reader gets not just informed, but also entertained through the use of local Wolof lingo
• An intangible cultural heritage worth telling and selling
• A potential area of exploration for documentary/film makers
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