Since the return of multi-party democracy in 1996, governments in and out promised to create a free and open society by repealing the Seditious libel law from the Public Order Act 1965. The 55-year-old seditious libel law criminalised free speech and as a result was regarded as an obstacle for journalists in the discharge of their functions. Many journalists fell foul of the law and received jail terms, and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) spent a lot of time negotiating the release of journalists at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

After assuming office in 2018, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio kept to his promise in ensuring that the media ecosystem is unshackled, by repealing the obnoxious libel law, a manifesto promise he made and a promise he delivered. A major outcome was that no journalist went to prison for the practice of journalism throughout the first five years of President Bio’s regime, a trend, we believe, will also characterize his second term. Another major outcome is the increase in the number of newspapers, Radio and Television stations that have now been established and the proliferation of citizen journalists on social media. (madisonavenuemalls.com)

President Dr. Julius Maada Bio was crowned by the country’s Association of Jounalists (SLAJ) as a champion of press freedom in 2021, for championing an unprecedented growth in the media fraternity. The President is also credited for being the driving force behind the strengthening of the Independent Media Commission Act, the revised media code of practice, the First Investment Conference to attract private investors in the media and a meaningful and substantial subvention for SLAJ.

It is against this backdrop of unprecedented achievements that His Excellency President Bio made fresh commitment in his 2023 manifesto to ensure that his government continues to advance the values of a free and open society; provide support to all citizens to fully enjoy the freedoms enshrined in the constitution and inherent in the best democratic practice; sustain support for the Sierra Leone Association of Journalist (SLAJ); and develop and support community Radio stations across the country.

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The Government of President Bio in the next five years envisions a society that is free from any form of fear or intimidation. A society where government will work closely with Civil society organizations and the media to promote a conducive environment where responsible journalism is practiced.

That is why the new Ministry of Information and Civic Education, formerly Ministry of Information and Communications, now has its work cut out. In the past five years the Ministry of Information and Communications introduced and maintained certain approaches to its work, such as holding an annual Media/CSO retreat across all regions to foster progress in the civic space, holding town hall meetings, bridging the communication gap between the Government and the people and also leveraging the use of social media (3million projected users by the end of 2023).

It is hoped that in the next five years and with the transformation of the Ministry into a more people-oriented outfit, the nature of government interaction with the general citizenry will speak to a whole new experience, further enhancing the interaction between government functionaries and the citizenry.