Nasralla Delivers Last New Year Message As SLAJ President
President of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla
Fellow journalists, media practitioners, and partners, as we step into 2025, I extend warm New Year greetings on behalf of SLAJ.
Let us take a moment to remember our colleagues who are in distress, sick, or have passed away. They remain in our thoughts and prayers.
The past year has been a testament to our collective resilience and commitment to media development in Sierra Leone. Together, we have achieved significant milestones, which I will not recount, as I have spoken about them several times during the closing months of 2024. These accomplishments reflect our unwavering dedication to upholding press freedom and strengthening the role of the media in our democracy.
However, challenges persist. Issues such as the safety and security of journalists, financial sustainability of media houses, and ethical standards continue to test our resolve. As an association, we remain committed to addressing these issues through dialogue, consultation, advocacy, and collaboration with stakeholders.
Looking ahead, 2025 presents opportunities for growth and innovation. We aim to deepen our engagement with policymakers and development partners, enhance media professionalism, and explore sustainable models for media financing and public interest journalism. We are confident that with your continued support, we can achieve even greater heights. We urge the government to honor its commitment to the National Fund for Public Interest Media (NaFPIM) as we prepare to launch the pilot phase of this game-changing initiative in January/February 2025.
We remain committed to promoting information integrity with the continuation of the Iverify platform this year, thanks to the dedicated team of fact-checkers and coordinators, and our funders, UNDP and their partners.
We have resumed our engagement with the leadership of Parliament to ensure the effective functioning of the Sierra Leone Parliamentary Press Gallery (SLPPG) as a unified entity. The SLAJ Electoral Commission (SLAJEC) will meet with the interim executive of the gallery to agree on a roadmap for elections, ensuring a democratically elected executive is in place early this year.
Under a new EU-funded project, SLAJ will work with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Information and Civic Education and other relevant government bodies, to leverage the ongoing constitutional review process. We advocate for a standalone chapter, known as Chapter 12, on media and communication to be added to the constitution, establishing principles for organizing and regulating the sector. If successful, this will be the first progressive law guaranteeing freedom of expression and press freedom in Sierra Leone.
Through this project, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), of which SLAJ is a member, will work to strengthen SLAJs capacity as a union. The IFJ will collaborate with SLAJ to develop a strategic plan that supports growth and enhances its influence as a defender of media freedom and free speech.
Additionally, as recommended by the National Action Plan (NAP) Technical Working Group on Gender, this EU project will support SLAJ in popularizing its Gender Equality Policy as a national framework for adoption by all media outlets in Sierra Leone.
We have adopted a new constitution that addresses most of our operational, administrative, and financial management gaps, largely based on recommendations from the Anti-Corruption Commissions systems review of SLAJ.
However, as we welcome a new year, it is imperative for us as journalists and media practitioners to reflect on our role in not only promoting media development, but also fostering a united and cohesive Sierra Leone. The growing political polarization in our society presents a significant challenge, and sections of the media have, regrettably, been complicit in deepening these divides by prioritizing partisan narratives over professional and ethical journalism. This trend threatens not only our credibility, but also the very fabric of our democracy, peace, and stability.
Now more than ever, the media must redefine its role as a catalyst for constructive dialogue, promoting healthy debate and setting a balanced agenda that prioritizes national interest over sectional loyalties. We must uphold the highest standards of professionalism and ethics, ensuring that our reporting is fair, accurate, and devoid of bias. While safeguarding freedom of expression, we must also practice responsible journalism that holds duty bearers accountable in a fair manner without fueling division or mistrust.
Let us commit to using our platforms to promote peace, stability, and national cohesion. Let us amplify voices of reason. Let us foster understanding among diverse groups. Let us prioritize the truth. Let us contribute to building a stronger, more united Sierra Leone. This is our responsibility, and it is a charge we must embrace with renewed vigor this year.
Let me use this opportunity to announce the second public edition of the SLAJ National Media Awards, scheduled for Friday, 11th April, 2025, at the Bintumani International Conference Foyer, in core partnership with Africell, UNDP Sierra Leone, and United Bank for Africa.
At this juncture, let me thank our donors and partners for supporting media development in the country through SLAJ and other media stakeholders: NDI, NED, EU, Embassy of Ireland, UKAid, International IDEA, UNDP and partners, and the Government of Sierra Leone.
Let me also recognize the contribution of the private sector in sustaining the media in Sierra Leone: Africell, Mercury International, Orange SL, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Sierra Leone Commercial Bank (SLCB), Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB), ECOBANK, Zenith Bank, Leone Rock, and NP SL Limited.
To our public sector partners, we also say thank you: NaTCA, NASSIT, NRA, and PRA.
And to industry players: MRCG, IMC, NaTCA, RAIC, BBC Media Action SL, IRN and SiLBA, we will continue to collaborate and consult to find innovative solutions to the problems of the media in Sierra Leone.
Finally, let me inform colleagues, partners, stakeholders, and the public that this is my final New Year message as SLAJ President, as I officially announce the date the next SLAJ elections will take place, on Saturday 7th June 2025 in Freetown. The venue for the three days elective Triennial Conference will be announced later.
Yours in service,
AHMED SAHID NASRALLA
President
