Ebrima Sillah, minister of Information, Communication and Infrastructure has cautioned 20 Gambian journalists who’ve recently completed five days training on investigation that “investigative journalism is not about blackmailing”.

Mr. Sillah was speaking to the trainees at Senegambia Hotel on Friday at the end of a training organized by the Gambia Press Union through the support of KAS.

He described the field as tremendous and that investigative journalists have added value to shaping the strategic thinking and direction of policy making on critical issues of importance to societies across the world.

However, he cautioned that “investigative journalism is not about blackmailing unsuspecting people and victims as well as governments.”

He added that: “Journalism by all standards is a noble profession with strong ethical principles that should at all times be respected and upheld. Investigative journalism is all about seeking truth and truth telling.”

Mr. Sillah said that journalism has a standard and that “bar shouldn’t be lowered because when that happened it will cause a critical dent in your work and in your credibility.”    

He assured of the continued collaboration of the government with the Gambia Press Union in enhancing professionalism of media workers in the country.

“We continue to collaborate with you – the GPU- and we will continue to collaborate with you to enhance the professionalism of media workers,” he said.

Mr. Sillah said the work of investigative journalist does not only interest journalists, adding “because at the end of the day when investigative journalists are done with their work it jolts policymakers and those critical stakeholders into immediate actions.”

He said: “when good investigative journalists do their work, government and those that are affected by that investigative journalism works always have to react and always have to do something because by leaving it unattended will cause serious issues in society.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba