The Point newspaper has been named a joint winner of the 2006 Johann-Philip-Palm Prize for press freedom.

Since 2002, this prize has been awarded by Palm Foundation in Schorndorf, Germany, every alternate year.

The other laureate is Asja Tretyuk, a journalist in Belarus.

The laureates were selected out of a list of worthy candidates proposed by members of the jury and other partners of the Palm Foundation, such as Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International.

Mr. Pap Saine, the Managing Director of The Point newspaper, will receive the award on behalf of the paper in Schorndorf, Germany, on Sunday, 3rd December this year.

The Point was co-founded by Deyda Hydara and Pap Saine in 1991. Since the beginning of this year, the newspaper has been published daily and it can also be read online.

According to the organizers of the biennial award, Pap Saine has been fighting for freedom of opinion and press freedom in The Gambia since his partner was murdered in cold blood in December 2004.

An elated Pap Saine described the award as a recognition of The Point’s relentless commitment to balanced, objective and impartial journalism.

He said: “The award is a massive boost and a huge plus to all Gambian journalists. It shows that people are out there monitoring what we do and how we do it.”

He added: “My sincere thanks go to my dedicated staff, my partner Mrs. Maria Hydara, our readers, subscribers, advertisers and QuantumNet without whose co-operation the launching of the web site would not have been possible; not to talk of the many well-wishers who encouraged us to continue with the struggle for freedom of expression in The Gambia.”

Mr. Saine also appealed to government to open its doors to the independent media to enable its practitioners get access to information. “This will boost objective reporting. Government should not see us as enemies but partners in development,” he said.

He urged aspiring journalists to be up and doing. “I also appeal to young journalists to be honest, dedicated and do their job without fear or favour, because journalism is a noble profession,” he posited.

During his one-week stay in Germany, Mr. Saine will interact with his German colleagues, take part in talk shows and grant press interviews.