By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on the 3rd of May every year. It is a day that is observed globally, to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluate the state of press freedom around the world and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives while performing their duties.
The theme for this year’s World Press Freedom Day is ‘’Shaping a Future of Rights; Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights’’. We celebrate the rights of Journalists and Journalists who gave their lives on the field.
The purpose of World Press Freedom Day is to raise awareness about the value of press freedom, the necessity of defending journalist’s rights, and the need to support independent, free media. It also aims to remind the government to uphold the right to freedom of expression and free press, this year marks the 30thAnniversary of world press freedom day. Three decades have passed since it was proclaimed in 1993, in which we have seen substantial progress towards achieving a free press and freedom of expression around the world.
The proliferation of independent media in many countries and the rise of digital technologies have enabled the free flow of information. However, media freedom, safety of Journalists and freedom of expressions are increasingly under attack, which impacts the fulfillment of other human rights.
The international community faces multiple crisis, conflicts, and violence, persistent socio-economic inequalities driving migration, environmental crises and challenges to the health and well-being of people all around the world. At the same time, disinformation, and misinformation online and offline proliferate, with serious impact on the institution’s underpinning democracy, the rule of law and human rights,
It is exactly to counter these critical situations and threats that press freedom, safety of journalists and access to information takes center stage. On the 23rd of July 2020, the Parliament of Sierra Leone amended the public Order Act of 1965 (Act No.46 of 19650 by repealing part V of that law which deals with criminal libel and also enacted the Independent Media Commission (IMC) Act 2020.
What was the Libel Law about and how did it criminalize free speech
Libel is a category of defamation that includes defamatory statements that are published or broadcast. Libel is a tort under the common law for which a defamed party can sue for damages. The 54 year old law was effectively used to criminalize journalism and silence the media.
For instance the reign of Siaka Stevens as leader of Sierra Leone between 1967 and 1985, people arrested, charged and jailed for what was then referred to as ‘’Careless Talk’’ was a way the people expressed dissents against the government at the time . The media struggled during the Stevens era leading to the formation of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) on the 5th June 1971. SLAJ was formed primarily to promote freedom of expression and of the press; advocating for the repeal of the criminal libel law, to seek the welfare of the Journalists, training and building opportunities for its membership in Sierra Leone. Today the law that criminalized journalism and free speech has been repealed by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio a clear manifestation that President Bio is a man of his words and a godfather of democracy. For President Bio the media should be viable and its role in society should be felt, to enhance this, his government has been providing subventions to SLAJ in a bid to help build the media industry as well as promote free speech in the country and there has been a proliferation of the media industry which every journalist is proud off and wants to see its sustainability.
There is no Journalists being detained or imprisoned for doing their work. The media is diverse with about 530 media house. President of SLAJ Ahmed Sahid Nasralla in his speech celebrating press freedom expatiated the level of press freedom we enjoy ever since the amendment of the libel law, in its biggest achievement he listed the legislative, political, economic, safety and security, the new media, the june 24th elections context of it in the historic repeal of the criminal libel and seditious law in 2020. He said since the repeal, there has been drastic decrease in arbitrary arrests and detention of Journalists by the Sierra Leone Police for publications that are critical of the government or of high-placed public officials or politicians and because of the repeal also Sierra Leone scored progressively in the World Press Freedom Index of 2021 and 2022 moving about 29 places up the world rankings.
In commeration of World Press Freedom Day 2023 SLAJ and MRCG with the support of the EU, will launch the media manifesto 2023 with the theme ‘’THE MEDIA WE WANT’’ on the 26th of May 2023. Political parties are expected to be in attendance as their part in committing to the media manifesto as part of their parties manifestos.
To Journalists who sacrifice their time, energy and serve with dedication, commitment and passion to this field we celebrate you and your achievements, to those who lost their lives while serving we say thank you for your selfless Acts of service to your country that has inspired young and upcoming journalists to serve diligent without bias, fear of favor of the truth.