By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
The media Reform coordinate Group (MRCG) together with SLAJ and other institution in Sierra Leone on Thursday 22nd April, 2021 at Sierra Palms Hotel, Beach Road, Lumley in Freetown on National forum on Safety of Journalists in Sierra Leone
The engagement was done to ensure that journalists have total safety both in there media House and the public places.
Mohamed Rahman Swarray, Minister of Information and Communications speaking doing the consultative engagement with MRCG, SLAJ and other institutions on the National Forum on Safety of Journalists in Sierra Leone
He said the safety of journalist in sierra Leone has been an issued over the years, noted that there government have made a very good strive in ensured that the criminal libel has been repealed and they are working very closely with the media to ensure that the safety of Journalists in the country is guaranty.
He also noted journalists don’t have protective safety to protect themselves whiles reporting on protest and other coverages that they do, due noted that the issues of some journalists that was beating doing the 2018 general election which Ibrahim Samura of new age lost his life.
He also said journalists also attacked civilians and politicians on a daily bases, he advice that journalists should very much responsible in how they deal with the public.
He said the government has ensured that the repeal of the criminal libel law, noted that the government is plaining to join SLAJ to have an investment forum for journalists in the Sierra Leone.
Chairman of MRCG, Dr. Francis Sowa, his presentations the summery of the report on the Safety of Journalists in Sierra Leone, noted that the study examines the ‘Safety of Journalists and media houses in Sierra Leone’
He said they MRCG targeted forty-four media outlets (radio stations, television stations, newspapers and online media) across Sierra Leone. Noted that the key issues assessed are the trends of safety of journalists’ issues in Sierra Leone violations of perpetrators, gender of victims
He said the report also show that majority of the media houses studied lacked a safety and security policy, and that there is no specific safety and security policy in those media institutions, although most of them stated that such issues are addressed in their editorial policy.
“Many journalists are not knowledgeable about tips on how to keep themselves safe in their line of duty and they exposed themselves to dangers when covering riots or demonstrations.” He said
He said most popular perpetrators of those violations as police officers, military personnel, politicians, civil servants, and community stakeholders and people. Thus noted that the study recommended the development of a template of a Safety and Security Policy which the media institutions can use to develop their own
He noted that forty-four media houses were in the study, twenty-one were radio stations, sixteen newspapers, three online media and four television stations in Sierra Leone, said all districts and regions were captured in the study so as to have a data that is nationally representative.
He concluded that the study examined the ‘Safety of Journalists Policies and Practices among media houses in Sierra Leone’; he said there was no specific safety and security policy in the majority of media institutions.
He said many journalists were knowledgeable about tips on how to keep themselves safe in their line of duty, but they still exposed themselves especially to dangers; when covering riots or demonstrations, there is the need for media institutions to develop and operate with safety and security policies in the interest of the safety of journalists.
Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, SLAJ President, journalists and medias workers to ensured accountability through the conduct of impartial speedy and effective investigation of violence against journalists and media workers and to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice and ensure that victims have access to remedies
He said with this research from MRCG they hope media houses will have a better understanding on how they can report on protest and riotous activities that is happening.
