FactCheck: Ministry of Information’s 2026 Press Freedom Press Release
Ministry of Information data and corrected data © Askanwi
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services released a set of statistics on The Gambia’s press freedom rankings in a press statement earlier today. The data referenced is published annually by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and can be accessed online. However, a review by our newsroom has identified two inaccuracies in the data presented.
Ministry of Information data and corrected data © Askanwi
Key Findings
Our verification confirms that The Gambia’s 2022 global ranking was 50th, not 72nd, as stated by the Ministry. This error understates the country’s performance by 22 places, significantly diminishing what was one of its strongest improvements in recent years.
The Ministry also incorrectly lists The Gambia as 10th in Africa in 2025. Verified data shows the country ranked 11th, with Sierra Leone occupying the 10th position. Notably, this same error was flagged by our editorial team last year but has reappeared in official communication.
From our 2025 World Press Freedom publication © Askanwi Media
Why This Matters
These discrepancies point to a lack of basic fact-checking and verification in official government communications. They also raise broader questions about the data validation processes within the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services.
Accurate reporting of press freedom indicators is particularly important given their role in shaping both domestic accountability and international perception.
Context: The Gambia’s Press Freedom Trajectory
The Gambia recorded its highest position in 2023, ranking 46th globally in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index.
Since then, the country has experienced a decline of more than ten places, with RSF attributing the drop to:
Weak media financing, including unpaid government obligations
The persistence of restrictive legal frameworks
Structural economic fragility within the media sector
Although the 2026 figures suggest a return to the 2023 global ranking, RSF warns of a wider global deterioration in press freedom conditions. Within this context, The Gambia appears to be stagnating rather than improving and remains classified in the “problematic” category.
Conclusion
This fact check underscores the need for greater diligence and accuracy in official data dissemination. At a time when press freedom remains a critical barometer of democratic progress, even minor statistical errors risk undermining credibility and public trust.
