Despite risky services in Covid-19 heydays, some journalists never received a Dalasi from Covid-19 fund

Article by: Mariama Dem

Since the Covid-19 outbreak entered the Gambia in March, 2020, journalists have been in the forefront informing the public about the virus and other stories. 25-year-old Nyima Sillah works at the Voice Newspaper; she lamented that the fear of contracting the virus among people made access to sources very challenging for her, especially at the initial stage of the virus in the country. She also said the pandemic has affected her earnings.

Ramatoulie Jawo is 24 years old and works at a local radio station. For Ramatoulie, the pandemic has restricted her from covering valid stories due to her health conditions. She cannot wear a face mask for about ten good minutes. She added that her medium was hit by financial constraints as advertisers stopped coming for business; thus, resulting to monetary challenges for her.

Nyima and Ramatoulie were at the forefront finding stories to keep the public informed about the daily happenings; they were also injected with the fear of contracting the virus and transmitting it to their vulnerable families at home.

Young female journalists who prefer to be anonymous revealed that they were laid off for three months without a pay by their various media houses. It resulted in financial disorder for them. When asked if they have benefited from the Covid-19 fund meant for journalists, they replied ‘no’.