PRESIDENT BIO IS THE CHAMPION OF PRESS FREEDOM

By Ishmael Bayoh

Today is World Press Freedom Day. It is a day declared by The United Nations General Assembly to be observed to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and to remind governments of its obligations. This Week With President Bio’s Development Agenda will pay tribute to the glowing achievements made by President Bio in this direction. As a journalist myself of long standing, I will give first hand accounts of how President Bio has added respect to the profession.

The most fundamental change that has happened in the media in Sierra Leone in over 50 years, is the freedom to practice journalism. For four years since the repeal of the Seditious Libel provisions in the 1965 Public Order Act, the media in Sierra Leone have now known, felt and enjoying what freedom is all about.

President Bio shaped the future of human rights in Sierra Leone by repealing the obnoxious libel provisions in the 1965 public order. By doing that he made a massive progressive realization of human rights in line with national, regional, and international instruments. Freedom of Expression is guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 9 of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, and Section 25 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.

Before the repeal, it had been a persistent pattern of practising under fear. With several journalists locked up, harassed, media houses shut down, and the SLAJ executive having the headache of running from one police detention to another and one court room to another, or kneeling down to beg one individual to another, President Bio promised to repeal that law if elected in 2018. He kept his promise, and became the Press Freedom Champion.

The repeal came as a surprise to many people, even within the media. During the signing ceremony at State House, well-known journalists and former SLAJ Presidents did not mince their words of surprise and commendation to President Bio. Even Western diplomats were very impressed.

The benefits after the repeal are abound as several strides have taken place like media pluralism; the registration of more newspapers, radio stations, and other media. It has, in no doubt, added to the general improvement in content and increase in the number of professionals coming into the media, contributing to the body of knowledge on the media ecosystem in the country.

On December 7th, 2022 during the Presidential Media Cocktail at the Country Lodge, SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla was bold to have said that “the most fundamental change that has happened in the media, and which we seem to be taking for granted because we now have it: is FREEDOM! The freedom to practice our profession, which we did not have pre-2020, “. Explaining the benefits of the repeal, the SLAJ President remarked “I have even forgotten when last, I and my Executive visited the CID or the Police to secure the release of journalists detained under the obnoxious criminal libel law for doing their work. That is the freedom I am talking about.”.

Further expressing how free the media is, he stated. “I am not aware of any journalist who is in jail in Sierra Leone for what they publish or broadcast or tweet. That is the freedom I am talking about”.

In the past, a time like this on world press freedom day, the journalists would have to use several methods like protests, symposiums to draw attention of the state of the obnoxious libel provisions in the law book. A one time President of SLAJ, Alhaji Umaru Fofana left his hair to grow bushy as a way of protest. That is no more as journalists have now known the essence of commemoration.

The gains that the media have achieved post repeal are so much in such a few years. President Bio has not abandoned the media but has made sure that the media is supported and collaborated with for national development. The annual government subvention to SLAJ continues to increase. The freedom of information which the recent MCC scorecard puts at 98%; the biggest leaps in the World Press Freedom Index two years in row (in 2020 and 2021) since the repeal of the criminal libel law; safety and security of journalists; development of a national framework, and a policy on safety of journalists in Sierra Leone; establishment of a National Coordination Committee on the safety and security of journalists in Sierra Leone; Sierra Leone joining the Global Media Freedom Coalition- a high level platform where governments engage and peer review their commitments to enhancing freedom of expression and free media; the historic media viability and investment conference held in June 2022; Sierra Leone has for the first time being listed as one of 17 countries in the world to benefit from the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM).

With these remarkable results of a strong political will to ensure the media makes progress, i can safely say it that the media in Sierra Leone is now a subject of discussion in international media meetings where it is solidly anchored on better ideals of freedom of expression. The legal and other institutional framework for media operations in the country, the relationship between the Media and the Ministry of Information on one hand, and IMC and other operatives on another, are all well-designed and can best serve as a point of reference for most countries in Africa.

Press freedom day is not only about a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitments to press freedom but is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of professional ethics, media accountability and responsibility as enabler to state development.