Newspapers and media of The Gambia

The Gambian press is English-speaking: the dailies The Point, The Standard and Foroyaa, the public broadcaster GRTS and sites such as Kerr Fatou or Askanwi publish free online, while radio also carries the news in Mandinka, Wolof and Fula.

From colonial Banjul to the Jammeh years

A former British colony independent since 1965, The Gambia had an English-language press from colonial times, published in Bathurst, today's Banjul. Under Yahya Jammeh, from 1994 to 2017, journalists and independent titles faced arrests, closures and exile.

The Point, Foroyaa, The Standard: three editorial lines

The Point, co-founded in 1991 by Deyda Hydara, who was murdered in 2004, remains a reference. Foroyaa, born in 1987, blends investigation and opinion. The Standard covers politics, business and sport with many opinion pieces, in a more general tone.

English in print, national languages on air

English is the official language and that of every newspaper. Yet Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Soninke and Jola dominate conversation; community radio stations and GRTS use them widely in their bulletins and phone-in programmes across the country.

Serrekunda, Brikama, Basse: where to get local news?

Newspapers are produced in the Banjul and Kanifing area. News from Brikama, Farafenni or Basse Santa Su arrives through correspondents and above all community radio, which is essential in the regions along the Gambia River.

Kerr Fatou, Askanwi and digital outlets

Kerr Fatou, Askanwi and Gambiana publish articles, video interviews and live streams on Facebook and YouTube. Political debates in Serrekunda carry on over WhatsApp, now a major channel for news, but also for rumours and anonymous voice messages.

Is there a national news agency?

The Gambia has no news agency as visible as those of its neighbours. Statements from the presidency and ministries circulate through the government website, official accounts and GRTS, which gives them wide distribution across the country.

GRTS, public radio and television

Gambia Radio and Television Services broadcasts news and programmes in English and national languages. Its output, partly available online, covers state activities, the work of the National Assembly and major sporting or religious events.

Media born in exile

During the Jammeh years, journalists who fled to the United States or Europe launched sites such as Freedom Newspaper and Fatu Network. Some later continued their work in The Gambia after 2017; their tone often remains activist and committed.

Tourism, groundnuts and the Scorpions

Business pages follow tourism on the Atlantic coast, groundnuts, diaspora remittances and the dalasi. In sport, the Scorpions national team, which qualified for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and traditional wrestling receive notable coverage.

Press freedom after 2017

Adama Barrow's arrival in 2017 opened up the media space, and the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission documented abuses against journalists. The Gambia Press Union defends the profession and campaigns for reform of laws inherited from the past.

Free Gambian papers and regional cross-checks

Almost all Gambian newspapers are free online. For a regional story, also read the Senegalese press from Dakar, since Senegal surrounds The Gambia, or English-language titles from the subregion such as the Ghanaian press.

Comparing several sources before concluding

The same trial or election debate is presented differently by GRTS, Foroyaa and a site born in exile. Cross-check at least two Banjul papers and an international outlet, then consult our press of the African continent page.

How to follow The Gambia from abroad

1. Read The Point or The Standard every day for the main political and economic news from Banjul.
2. Add Foroyaa for its investigations and detailed reports on trials and parliamentary debates.
3. Listen to GRTS or a community radio station online to hear the news in Mandinka or Wolof.
4. Follow Kerr Fatou or Askanwi on YouTube for political interviews and live coverage of major events.
5. Cross-check any viral WhatsApp story with at least one established daily before sharing it.
6. Consult the Senegalese press on border issues, the Farafenni bridge and Casamance.

Access to the Gambian press

Practical facts about The Gambia

• Language of the press: English; spoken languages: Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Soninke, Jola
• Public broadcaster: Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS)
• Leading dailies: The Point, The Standard, Foroyaa
• Professional body: Gambia Press Union (GPU)
• Time zone: UTC+0, no daylight saving time
• Currency: Gambian dalasi (GMD)

Reading mistakes to avoid with Gambian media

• Confusing The Standard of Banjul with Kenya's The Standard or other namesake papers in the English-speaking world.
• Taking an anonymous voice message circulating on WhatsApp for news confirmed by the Gambian press.
• Passing on an old article from the Jammeh era as if it described the current political situation.
• Treating a site born in exile as neutral when it was often designed as a tool of political struggle.
• Forgetting that GRTS is a public broadcaster that presents the Banjul government's viewpoint first.

Questions about Gambian media