BANJUL, Gambia, September 16, 2026/APO Group/ —
The U.S. Embassy Banjul on August 3, 2026, hosted a Media Forum that brought together key voices shaping press freedom in The Gambia. Joining U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Robert Anderson at the event were Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Gambia Press Union’s Program Officer for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information Juldeh Njie, and U.S. Department of State Foreign Press Centers Director Jeffrey Weinshenker (virtually from Washington, D.C.).
The forum spotlighted the Foreign Press Center and celebrated the inspiring achievements of three Gambian program alumni who traveled on Foreign Press Center tours across the United States to report on everything from youth leadership to border security to the U.S. presidential elections. The Gambian journalists met U.S. officials, business leaders, community organizations, and U.S. citizens along the way, building relationships and shaping the quality of their reporting – living proof of the lasting impact of U.S.-Gambia exchange programs.
Chargé Anderson reflected on the significance of this year as Americans commemorate Freedom 250 – the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence – while also celebrating more than six decades of diplomatic relations between the United States and The Gambia. As we look back with pride on the values that built our nation, we look ahead to our continuing partnership with The Gambia built on that same belief – that free peoples, informed by a free press, are the foundation of a just, democratic, and prosperous society.