Dr Ismaila Ceesay Hails Decade of Media Excellence at GPU Journalism Awards

By Staff Reporter

The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr Ismaila Ceesay, has praised the Gambia Press Union (GPU) for its role in strengthening the country’s democratic space as the Union marked the 10th edition of its National Journalism Awards.

The ceremony, held on Saturday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, brought together journalists, media executives, government officials, diplomats and development partners to celebrate outstanding reporting across the country’s media landscape.

In his address, Dr Ceesay commended the GPU for “a decade of promoting professionalism and excellence”, describing the awards as an important national platform that encourages ethical journalism and inspires young reporters.

He said the media remains central to advancing transparency, accountability and public access to information, especially at a time when global democracies face growing challenges.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to deepening media reforms, including strengthening access-to-information mechanisms and ensuring a safer working environment for journalists.

He noted that ongoing collaboration between the government, media stakeholders and development partners was vital in building a resilient and ethical media sector capable of adapting to the demands of the digital era.

Dr Ceesay also reflected on the impact of digital transformation on journalism, urging media practitioners to embrace innovation while remaining committed to accuracy, fairness and public service.

He added that capacity building and sustained investment in media development were necessary to help newsrooms keep pace with technological change.

As part of the evening’s highlights, the Information Minister presented the Journalist of the Year Award to Mustapha K. Darboe of The Republic, describing the honour as recognition of consistent, high-quality reporting.

He congratulated all nominees and award recipients, saying their work “continues to enrich the national conversation and uphold the highest principles of the profession.”

The annual GPU Journalism Awards feature multiple categories ranging from news reporting and investigative journalism to sports, health, environment and digital storytelling, and are widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious media honours.