PHOTO: TRRC Commissioners 

TRRC Communications Unit Accused of Interfering in the Selection of Journalists to Cover Regional Hearings

By Ousman A. Marong

The TRRC Communications Unit has been criticized by a section of the Gambian journalists covering its proceedings for allegedly interfering in the selection of journalists to be covering the regional outreach hearings as well as its decision to select few journalists for the coverage without letting others know.

Speaking to this reporter, Adama Makasuba, a freelance journalist covering the TRRC proceedings openly criticized the TRRC Communications Unit's decision on the selection of a few journalists, leaving others behind.

He said: "I believe the whole issue was a breach of communication on the side of the TRRC Communications Unit. It is fine for the UNDP to demand few journalists to be covering the regional hearings. The TRRC Communications Unit could have communicated the issue to us all."

Makasuba made it clear that he is not complaining, because of the money given to the journalists selected by the TRRC to cover the regional hearings, but because of the unfair selection process.

He added that they (the affected journalists) are expressing their dismay at the unfair selection process by the TRRC Communications Unit.

"They are entitled to do their job accordingly and we have no problem with that. But we should be critically looking at issues and be listening to one another as colleagues, rather than to be making decisions on our own," he stressed.

Malick Saine, a senior journalist with Youth Daily Africa Press and Block TV Gambia, said the selection process was undone. "The only journalists they selected are those from the print media. This shows that they are seeing the other media organizations be less important. The UNDP does not own the TRRC, the TRRC is for The Gambia and Gambians," he added.

When contacted to shed light on the allegations, Modou Dem, a Communications officer at the TRRC, said: "We (TRRC) did not sideline anyone. It was the UNDP that directly contacted the Media Houses. They are the agency funding the event and did not consult us to do the selection of the journalists to be covering the regional hearings."

  

On his part, Essa Jallow, head of the Communications Unit at the TRRC, said in a heated debate on the TRRC Whatsapp group: "I didn't want to comment but I think I have to make certain things clear to everyone here. I am the head of Communications Unit and it's my job to take the decision on such matters. I have selected from the broadcast and print media to cover the regional community hearings without consulting anyone, just as I did with the training programme. I will continue to do that as long as it's my job to do so."

However, this reporter got access to other information regarding the communication between Momodou Dem of the TRRC and Mr. Kah, Block TV's CEO.     

Mr. Kah's message reads:

"Bro Nakam, we at Block TV are not happy with the way the TRRC is treating us. We were told you only give money to those streaming the TRRC proceedings live. We are not doing this for money, but free and our followers. You are the right person to talk to and I believe I should put this to you."

Dem's response:

"Good evening Mr. Kah, how are you doing? As far as I know, no broadcast media other than our partners, QTV is paid for streaming. What happened was the UNDP being the sole funder of the regional hearings, decided to contact only three Newspapers without even informing our unit (TRRC). I have already intimated to some journalists that because of my background in the media, I am not happy with the way things were done but it is beyond me."

Julien Attakla-Ayinon, UN Senior Adviser, Rule of Law and Transitional Justice Project Coordinator, also told this reporter that he is not privy to the information regarding the UNDP providing funds to the TRRC regional hearings.

"I am not aware of any issue related to the support that the UNDP has provided to the TRRC so far and particularly in the framework of the ongoing regional hearings.

Should you or any TRRC staff have a cause of concern or dissatisfaction, I advise such staff or yourself to channel it directly to the TRRC which, I believe, has trained a number of journalists and has its own mechanisms of accreditation of media houses or journalists," he concluded.