SLAJ@50 maiden activity: WORLD RADIO DAY 2021
Theme: The POWER of RADIO
Date: 13th February, 2021
Venue: Harry Yansaneh Memorial Hall, 56 Campbell Street, Freetown.
Statement by President of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, on World Radio Day 2021
Freetown: 13|2|2021
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) today, Saturday, 13th February, 2021, joins the rest of the world in observing WORLD RADIO DAY.
World Radio Day is here again – that day that UNESCO encourages the world to acknowledge and appreciate the role and importance of radio. Regardless of the fact that the new media seems to be taking the world by storm, we should stop and think that there are still 2 billion people in the world that cannot read – those people are part of the world and also need access to information – radio can provide that access.
In Sierra Leone today, the new media- particularly Facebook- accounts for about 500 to 600,000 users. This number is still less than 10 percent of our population, whereas radio accounts for 80% of listenership in our population. It is evident that radio is still the most pervasive medium of mass communication in Sierra Leone.
As the theme for this year’s commemoration states; New World, New Radio, it should be noted that the technological advancement in the world and the growth of the new media, demands innovation and change in radio. In short, radio will not remain in its traditional form but keeps evolving and adapting to the changes in the world. Even though the form may change yet it is not limited by language gender cultural or political barriers. So radio stations that have integrated technology into their program remain powerful voices of change across the world.
Radio started in Sierra Leone in the 1930s and the SLBS was established in 1934. More than three decades ago the SLBS was the only voice, but with the emergence of FM broadcasting, the media landscape changed significantly. Media pluralism has enabled diverse views and opinions which are essential in a democracy.
Over this period, we have seen the role radio has played in significant milestones in our sociopolitical history; during the rebel war, the restoration of democratic governance, reconciliation and peacebuilding era, the change of regime during peaceful elections, the Ebola outbreak, the increase in democratic participation and currently the fight against COVID-19 amongst others. It should be noted that had it not been the existence of radio the gains made as a nation over the last 30 years would have been an arduous task, if not impossible.
As an Association, SLAJ is committed to supporting the radio industry to continue its developmental stride to adapt and innovate as the world keeps changing. Integrating radio and the new media is a priority that SLAJ is committed to working with the radio industry to develop. Generating adequate resources has always been a challenge for the media industry particularly radio. Plans are currently underway to look into this concern to explore the possibilities of more investment in the media.
Gender mainstreaming is also an issue that we are concerned about as an Association. Efforts to support and encourage more women folks to be involved in radio are also part of our plans.
On this day, we want to pay tribute to the numerous men and women, and young people who are serving in the radio industry amidst inadequate resources, yet you are committed to ensuring that your audiences are kept informed with credible information. We say kudos to you all and hope that you will strive for excellence and keep serving.
We will also pay tribute to the radio voices of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and the 90s; those who are still with us, and those who had passed away. You helped to keep radio alive.
At this point let me urge radio journalists to rise to the challenge to hold leaders accountable at the local and national level to promote accountability, transparency, and good governance.
This is the first activity in our calendar of events for our Golden Jubilee celebration. For this symposium, with the theme: ‘The Power of Radio’, we have put together a formidable team of radio journalists from a different period of practice and they will look at the evolution of radio in Sierra Leone and how it has contributed to bringing credible information to the people and promote our democracy.
Thank you Hannah Foullah, Eddie Momoh, Aminata Finda Massaquoi, and Claudia Anthony, for making yourself available for this symposium, and to you Joshua Nicol for agreeing to serve as moderator.
Finally, let me remind you that the majority of our compatriots in the rural areas that cannot read or cannot access the internet still depend on the radio for information. Radio is still the cheapest medium for national development.
I will implore anyone who is passionate about national development to consider radio as a vital medium for development.
I thank you.
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