By Haddy Gaye & Alhagie Babou Jallow
Twenty-five representatives from universities, media training centres and civil society organisations recently convened for a four-day trainers’ training at the Food and Nutrition Association (GAFNA) complex in Kanifing.
Held under the theme: “Mainstreaming Education on Hate Speech, Fact-Checking, Media & Disability and Media & Artificial Intelligence into the Curriculum of Tertiary Media Institutions in The Gambia, the training brought together a diverse group of educators, journalists, activists, and visionaries. Beneath the academic discussions and policy frameworks lies a deeper thread: the recognition of storytelling as a force to protect lives, amplify marginalized voices, and preserve peace.
Professor Melchizedek Onobe, Dean of the University of The Gambia School of Journalism and Digital Media (SJDM), gave an overview of the programme.
Speaking as a seasoned scholar who has witnessed the transformative power of media Professor Melchizedek Onobe remarked that journalists must be courageous in seeking the truth and humble in serving it with integrity.
Fatou Njie of The Gambia National Commission for UNESCO followed with a heartfelt call to action, urging participants to approach the training with seriousness, for personal development, but also for the communities they represent. “The media is not just a tool. It is a mirror of who we are and who we aspire to be,” she said.
Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu, Focal Person of the tertiary AI Education Project and lecturer at the SJDM said the curriculum is set to be piloted at the University of The Gambia before being expanded to other institutions as a standard syllabus. “It represents a transformative vision to cultivate a journalism culture in The Gambia that is ethical, inclusive, fearless, and profoundly human”.
The modules covered were timely and relevant as the world grapples with the phenomena of hate speech, and the rise of AI and its impact.
