I offer my deepest condolences to Malick Jeng’s family, the Gambian media community, and the entire nation on his passing. I am immensely thankful for the chance to have collaborated with such a remarkable and esteemed colleague—a journalist of immense talent, respected by all who worked with him, read his articles, and listened to his interviews. His enduring legacy will undoubtedly inspire future generations of journalists. Malick Jeng embodied the ideal qualities of a correspondent: an exceptional news gatherer, an outstanding writer, and a friend to many through his work. The Gambian journalism community shares in this loss. He was a towering figure in journalism, and together with Swaibou Conateh, Malick Jeng authored one of the most comprehensive and authoritative Master’s dissertations on the History of Media in The Gambia.
He served as the first associate News Editor of the banned Independent newspaper before taking a position as a Political Officer at the US Embassy in Banjul and later retiring as the Director General of the Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS). He was also my researcher and data analyst for the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Governance and Leadership Index in 2009/10 for the Gambia. I had the honor of receiving a copy of his dissertation and hope his family will consider donating it to the University of The Gambia to benefit students studying media and journalism. May Allah grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus.
