Freetown | 4th May | 2020
Greetings from the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).
Yesterday, 3rd May, 2020, SLAJ joined the rest of the world in observing World Press Freedom Day on the global theme of: ‘Journalism without fear or favour’.
Because the day fell on Sunday, we decided to defer our programmes for today. Later in the day, SLAJ will hold a virtual seminar on the theme: “The Media and the COVID-19 Pandemic”.
The next day, 5th May, SLAJ will also participate in a regional webinar discussion with counterparts in Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria organised by UNESCO on the global theme.
Strangely, the world is observing this year’s World Press Freedom Day amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and for us here we are doing so under the State of Emergency and a lockdown.
Nevertheless, the media in Sierra Leone continues to play its crucial role in supporting the national fight against COVID-19 and re-positioning itself as a force to be reckoned with in our governance landscape.
The media in Sierra Leone, and by extension journalists, enjoy relative freedom. There’s some encouraging degree of democracy, human rights, media pluralism and there’s a seemingly general determination for progress and development. The Government of Sierra Leone has started giving annual subvention to SLAJ as a form of support to the media; we are working with the Ministry of Lands, and Country Planning for the allocation of land for the construction of our headquarters in the Western Area and the regional headquarter towns. The repeal bill for the Criminal and Seditious Libel laws has passed Cabinet and now in the final stages in the Sierra Leone Parliament. We are encouraged by the pronouncement of the new leader of Government Business in the House, Hon. Mathew Nyuma, that the repeal bill is among documents to be discussed by MPs in subsequent sittings before they go on recess.
Looking beyond the repeal, we have launched our newly re-constituted Disciplinary Committee which now includes two members from the public and a new governance structure including district and regional monitors to aid the work of the committee nationally. The objective of the committee is to primarily enforce the SLAJ Code of Ethics through reactive and pro-active measures, which include training of journalists and public education on the work of the media.
Moreover, in the 2020 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) world press freedom index, Sierra Leone moved from 86 to 85 out of 180 countries. This should be considered as progress, no matter if it is only one step forward.
However, the downside of press freedom in Sierra Leone is the continuous assault of journalists by some officers of security forces. This calls for serious engagement with the leadership of the security sector so that we understand and respect each other’s role in our democracy.
Another downside is the economy of the media or rather poverty of the media which has been made even worse by COVID-19.
Businesses have closed, and adverts are not forthcoming. Prices of printing materials for newspapers, for example, have not only gone up but they are in short supply because of the COVID-19 restrictions locally and internationally.
Consequently, many newspapers have closed. Radio stations are struggling and scaling down broadcast time. The publishers and Station Managers are crying. Vendors are crying. The reporters are crying. The support staff are complaining.
In these tough times for the media, especially the print media, we urge the government and partners to come up with a financial scheme to cushion the impact of COVID-19 on the sector.
But we also urge the media to be creative and innovative. The COVID-19 pandemic might just be that long-awaited opportunity for the Sierra Leone media to redefine itself, be proactive, think innovatively, and take advantage of the digital revolution by moving away from traditional means of revenue generation to stay in business.
SLAJ and its affiliate bodies (SWASAL, SLRU, WIMSAL, PPG and SLCRA), the Guild of Editors and Station Managers must re-invent themselves to be fit for purpose in this endeavour.
True to the global theme: ‘Journalism without fear or favour’, tensions continue to exist between some politicians and journalists. While the media is pushing for progress in our democracy, the rule of law, human rights, good governance, transparency and accountability, the politicians are reluctant to give themselves up to public scrutiny. They hate criticism, even if it is for the general good. The ‘yes men’ are still in vogue. The Politicians like to hear the tunes of the praise singers and their own egos. There should be a healthy relationship between politicians/public officials and journalists/media for a healthy democracy.
However, on occasions like this, it is also imperative that we do some amount of introspection as media practitioners. The growing interference of national politics in the media has left a thin line between who is a real journalist and who is a politician hiding under the cloak of journalism. This is hurting not only the media’s role as watchdog and holding the government to account, but it is also undermining the effective administration of professional associations like SLAJ.
Meanwhile, as we continue to fully support the fight against COVID-19 we urged the authorities to continue to respect and protect free speech at all times and ensure the free flow of information even in a State of Emergency. We also call on colleagues to abide by professional and ethical standards in doing their work.
Thomas Jefferson once said: “The only security of all is in a free press.”
Finally, let me pay tribute to our departed colleagues from the last celebration, prominent among whom is the renowned correspondent for Agence France Presse (AFP) and former IMC Chairman and popular newspaper columnist Rod Mac Johnson; and former press attache to Brussels, Chernor Ojuku Sesay.
May their souls rest in Peace.
Long live SLAJ!
Long live freedom o
f expression and of the press!
Long live Sierra Leone!
I thank you!
#End
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