Media in Sierra Leone
Encyclopedia
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
at the start of the nineteenth century. In the 1860s the country became a journalist hub for Africa with professional travelling to the country from across the continent. At the end of the nineteenth century the industry went into decline and when radio was introduced in the 1930s this became the primary communication media in the country. Print media is not widely read in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, especially outside Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, partially due to the low levels of literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
in the country. There are 15 daily newspapers in the country as well as those published weekly. Among newspaper readership young people are likely to read newspapers weekly and older people daily. The majority of newspapers are privately run and are often critical of the government.
The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services
Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services
The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services is the state-owned radio and television operation of Sierra Leone. Its radio programming on FM and shortwave frequencies reaches the full country, but the television broadcasts can only be seen in Freetown, the capital city, and in Bo, the second largest city....
(SLBS) was created by the government in 1934 making it the earliest English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcaster service in West Africa. ABC Television-Africa, the country's first independent television broadcaster was created in 2005 by Allieu M. Shaw. Radio is the most popular and most trusted media in Sierra Leone, with 85% of people having access to a radio and 72% of people in the country listening to the radio daily. Stations mainly consist of local commercial stations with a limited broadcast range combined with a few stations with national coverage. There are two national free terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
stations in Sierra Leone but outside the capital Freetown television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
is not watched by a great many people. Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access in Sierra Leone has been low but is on the increase, especially since the introduction of wireless services across the country.
The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, and freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
; however, the government maintains strong control of media, at times restricts these rights in practice. Some subjects are seen as taboo by society and members of the political elite, imprisonment and violence has been used by the political establishment against journalists. In 2006 President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah served as President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007.He worked for the United Nations Development Programme and returned to Sierra Leone in 1992...
committed to reforming the laws governing the press and media to create a freer system for journalist to work in but in 2007 Sierra Leone was ranked as having the 121st least free press in the world. Sierra Leone has been featured in foreign media with coverage mainly focused on the country's civil war
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
. Foreign media, particularly American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
had an influence on the combatants in the civil war particularly the West Side Boys
West Side Boys
The West Side Boys aka West Side Niggaz or West Side Junglers, were an armed group in Sierra Leone, sometimes described as a splinter faction of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council....
.
History
The first modern printing pressPrinting press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
arrived in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
in 1794 but this was destroyed by a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
raiding party before it was ever used. Another press arrived in 1800 when the newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
Sierra Leone Advertiser began being published. In the 1860’s Sierra Leone developed into African journalism’s hub with professional from all over Africa employed by the country’s newspapers. The media boom also had an international dimension with newspaper professionals from around the world settling in the country. For example, the New Era paper was setup by West Indian William Drake. The year 1855 saw the foundation of the African Interpreter and Advocateby F A Belgrave founded and of the Sierra Leone weekly by Charles Bannerman. In the period newspapers were politically outspoken covering topics including stories about racism, colonialism and the rights of Africans.
The media industry went into decline at the end of the nineteenth century due to low levels of sales, that was the main source of income for newspapers.
In 1934 the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) was formed from the Freetown Rediffusion Service making it the earliest English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
radio broadcasting service in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. Television broadcasting started in 1963 as a cooperation between the SLBS and commercial interests. Coverage was extended to all districts in 1978 when the service was also upgraded to colour.
Isaac Theophilus Akuna Wallace Johnson 1939 started the African Standard and in the same year the Daily Mail began. The Daily Mail was to become one of the longest running papers in the country finally closing in the late 1990s. It was the leading paper in the country from 1970 and early 1980s the Daily Mail. There were 31 newspapers registered with the government between 1939 and 1984. At the end of the twentieth century the newspaper industry experienced a decline with more than 40 newspapers ceasing publication between 1991 and 2007. This is also the time when newspapers developed in terms of business management, and when computers and mobile phones started to be used by journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Newspapers
| Most popular newspapers in 2007 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Title | ||
| 1 | Awoko Times | ||
| 1 | Concord Times | ||
| 2 | ForDiPeople | ||
| 3 | Standard | ||
| 4 | Independent Observer | ||
| 5 | Premier News | ||
| Data from BBC Trust and Search for Common Ground. | |||
Newspapers are not a widely used medium especially outside Freetown with 15 daily newspapers operating in Sierra Leone. Dozens of newspapers are published in the country, most of them are privately run and are often critical of the government. The number of people reading newspaper is affected by low levels of literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
in the country. This is a particularly important factor for some sections of society, as only about half of women and older people are literate and literacy levels are lower outside Freetown. Among newspaper readership older people are more likely to read a paper daily and younger people to read weekly. People also trust the information published in newspapers less than that found on the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
.
The standard of print journalism is generally low, with some journalists lacking the training and skills they need to write, edit and disseminate information in print effectively.
Books
Although Sierra Leone had a long history of publishing and consuming books, the civil war altered this position. In 1982 there were three publishers in Sierra Leone, but 2002 there were no book publishers in Sierra Leone and only one bookshop, a church bookshop for in Christian literary material. Books of writers from Sierra Leone were still published but abroad. For example, Unanswered Cries by Osman Conteh won the 2002 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa, Children's Literature award. There are organisations, such as Sierra Leone PEN, who are trying to revitalise the sector.Magazines
Radio
Kailahun
Kailahun is the capital of Kailahun District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies 300 miles east of Freetown and with a population of 25,210. The population of Kailahun is largely from the Mende ethnic group and the Mende language along with the Krio language are widely spoken...
and is higher in the main towns then in rural areas. Peak times for listening to the radio are 6am-10am and 6pm-10pm. It is important to listeners that radio news is unbiased, accurate and trustworthy and is by far the most trusted media in Sierra Leone. News and music programmes are the most popular and is most people’s source of information about events that happen in the country including national elections. One of the most popular programmes is the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Atunda Ayenda
Atunda Ayenda
Atunda Ayenda is a radio soap opera broadcast on 21 stations within Sierra Leone and through the Internet. It is created by Talking Drum Studios and was the first radio soap opera aired in Sierra Leone. In the Mandingo language Atunda Ayenda means Lost and Found...
that is broadcast five days a week on 18 local stations. This is produced by Talking Drum Studios that was set up by Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground is an international non-profit organization operating in nearly 30 countries whose mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict – away from adversarial approaches toward cooperative solutions. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with the majority of...
an international non-profit organization to produced programmes aimed at using the media to address the problems in Sierra Leone left by the civil war by promoting peace and reconciliation. Other media content produced includes Golden Kids News a program produced by young journalists that allows children to discuss topics of interest to them.
Stations
| Most popular radio stations in 2007 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Radio station | ||
| Bo | Kiss FM | ||
| Bombali | Radio Mankneh | ||
| Kailahun | Radio Moa | ||
| Kono | BBC | ||
| Prujehun | Kiss FM | ||
| Western Area | UN radio | ||
| Data from BBC Trust and Search for Common Ground. | |||
Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services
The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services is the state-owned radio and television operation of Sierra Leone. Its radio programming on FM and shortwave frequencies reaches the full country, but the television broadcasts can only be seen in Freetown, the capital city, and in Bo, the second largest city....
(SLBS) operating under the government Ministry of Information and Broadcasting run station broadcasting on FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
and short-wave. The station has a studio and transmitter in Freetown and regional headquarters in Bo
Bo, Sierra Leone
Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...
, Makeni
Makeni
Makeni is the largest city in the Nortern Province of Sierra Leone and the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a current estimate of 105,900...
, Kenema
Kenema
Kenema is the third largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Eastern Province with a population of 128,402 in the 2004 census and a more recent estimate of 169,937...
.
The UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) runs the station UN Radio on FM frequency 103.0, that broadcasts in languages including English, Krio
Krio
Krio may refer to:*Sierra Leone Krio people*Krio language, language of the Sierra Leone Krio people*Krio Dayak people, an ethnic group in West Kalimantan, Indonesia*Krio Dayak language*Keriau River, in West Kalimantan, Indonesia...
, Temne
Temne
Temne can refer to:* A West Atlantic language, the Temne language is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages of Sierra Leone, West Africa...
, Limba
Limba
Limba may refer to:*Limba , a loa In Haitian Vodun who lived among rocks and eats passers-by.*The Limba people *The Limba language *The Limba people *The Limba language...
and Mende
Mende language
Mende is a major language of Sierra Leone, with some speakers in neighboring Liberia. It is spoken by the Mende people and by other ethnic groups as a regional lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone....
. Content includes news of UN activities and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
information, as well as music and news. It is the only station that broadcasts constantly and is one of the few stations with national geographical coverage. The UN missions will withdraw form Sierra Leone in 2008 making the future of the UN’s station uncertain.
There are also FM relays of BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
, in Freetown on frequency 94.3, Bo 94.5 and Kenema 95.3, Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...
and Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
are available in Freetown.
List of radio stations
- SLBS - government-run national radio station, based in FreetownFreetownFreetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
- Capital RadioCapital Radio Sierra LeoneThis article is about the Sierra Leone radio station. For other uses, see Capital Radio .Capital Radio is a Sierra Leone radio station based in Wilkinson Road, Freetown.-History:...
104.9 - private station in Freetown - Believer's Broadcasting Network (BBN) FM 93.0 - private station in Freetown
- Sky FM 106.6 - private station in Freetown
- Radio Democracy 98.1 - private station in Freetown
- Voice of the Handiccaped - private-run radio station for disabled but attracts audience nationwide
- UN Radio 103.0 - UN-run private station in Freetown
- Radio Tombo 96.0 - private station in Freetown
- Radio Citizen 103.7 private station in Freetown
- Radio Freetown 90.6 private station in Freetown
- Kiss FM 104 - private station in BoBo, Sierra LeoneBo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...
- Radio New Song 97.5 - private station in Bo
- Eastern Radio 101.9 - private station in KenemaKenemaKenema is the third largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Eastern Province with a population of 128,402 in the 2004 census and a more recent estimate of 169,937...
- Radio Mankneh 95.1 - private station in MakeniMakeniMakeni is the largest city in the Nortern Province of Sierra Leone and the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a current estimate of 105,900...
- Radio Gbaft 91.0 - private station in Kenema
- Koidu Radio Station private station in Koidu
- Bintumani 93.5 - private station in KabalaKabalaKabala can refer to:*Kabbalah, system of Jewish mysticism*Kabala, Sierra Leone, town in Sierra Leone*Kabala, Estonia, village in Türi Parish, Järva County, Estonia*Kabala, Mardin a town in Mardin Province of Turkey*Ka-Bala, 1967 fortune telling board game...
- Radio Modcar 93.4 - private station in MoyambaMoyambaMoyamba is the capital and largest city of Moyamba District, in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, with a population of 11,485 in the 2004 census. The city is about 48 miles southeast of the capital, Freetown. The population of the city is ethnically diverse although the Mende people make up...
- Radio Moa 101.5 - private station in KailahunKailahunKailahun is the capital of Kailahun District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies 300 miles east of Freetown and with a population of 25,210. The population of Kailahun is largely from the Mende ethnic group and the Mende language along with the Krio language are widely spoken...
- Radio Kolenten 92.4 - private station in KambiaKambiaKampia is a village close to Almirida on the north west coast of the island of Crete, Greece. It is located in Apokoronas, Chania Prefecture.Kampia is a small village with one street and a couple of lanes. There are no services here but shops and tavernas can be found in Plaka, the next village or...
- Radio Bontico 96.4 - private station in BontheBontheBonthe is a town located on Sherbro Island in Bonthe District of the southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town had a population of 9,535 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate of 10,206. In colonial times it used to be a major trading centre for piassava and other agricultural products...
International Radio
- BBC World Service FM relays in Freetown on 94.3MHz, Bo on 94.5MHz and Kenema on 95.3MHz
- RFI (Radio France International) FM relay in Freetown
Radio Universal 98.7 - private station in freetown
Television
There are two national television stations broadcasting in Sierra Leone and outside the capital Freetown is not watched by a great many people. One a national terrestrialTerrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
station run by the government organisation the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Services (SLBS) with limited coverage. And the other a private station ABC Television-Africa
ABC Television-Africa
ABC Television-Africa made history on March 24, 2005, when it was inaugurated by H.E President Alhaji Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabba, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Vice President of Sierra Leone Solomon Berewa, as the first private independent terrestrial broadcaster in Sierra...
(ABC) run by the AISOW Broadcasting Corporation whose stated mission is to “Inform, educate and entertain the people of Africa in a manner which is relevant to the development needs of the continent.” ABC started broadcasting on March 24, 2005, becoming Sierra Leone’s first independent terrestrial broadcaster. In 2008 ABC covered the areas of Western Area, Port Loko
Port Loko
Port Loko is the capital and second largest city of Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The city lies about , as the crow flies, north-east of the nation's capital Freetown and had a population of 21,961 in the 2004 census Port Loko lies on Banka Soka River, which flows...
, Kambia
Kambia
Kampia is a village close to Almirida on the north west coast of the island of Crete, Greece. It is located in Apokoronas, Chania Prefecture.Kampia is a small village with one street and a couple of lanes. There are no services here but shops and tavernas can be found in Plaka, the next village or...
, Lunsar
Lunsar
Lunsar is one of the largest cities of Port Loko District in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. The population was 16,567 in the 2004 census , but a 2010 estimate is 23,889 . The town lies about 22 miles east of the district capital of Port Loko and 65 miles east of Freetown . The...
and parts of Makeni
Makeni
Makeni is the largest city in the Nortern Province of Sierra Leone and the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone. The city is the capital of Bombali District and had a population of 80,840 in the 2004 census and a current estimate of 105,900...
. The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based company has a business model to target a mass audience, rather than the elite that normally watch pay-per-view in Africa and Sierra Leone.
Founder and Managing Director of GTV, Julian McIntyre, says the company hopes to achieve this by creating a service that "offers fantastic choice and quality to a whole new audience - at an affordable price."
Internet
InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access in Sierra Leone has been low but from 2008, after the introduction of wireless service, use has increased. There are nine Internet service providers (ISPs) in Sierra Leone. Freetown has a city wide wireless Internet connection and Internet access is offered in cafeterias, hairdressers and dedicated Internet cafe
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
s. However, problems, such as intermittent electricity supply, have affected general adoption of the internet. As of 2008 there are approximately 60,000 high-end Internet users in Sierra Leone. Mobile Internet services are available in the area around Freetown and a slow connection is available in other areas of the country.
List of ISPs
- FGC Wireless
- Accesspoint
- Multinet
- Limeline
- Iptel
- Celtel
- TiGo
- Comium
- Afcom
Control
| Country Press Freedom ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Country rank | score | |
| 2007 | 121 | 39.50 | |
| 2006 | 103 | 26.00 | |
| 2005 | 126 | 39.50 | |
| 2004 | 88 | 24.50 | |
| 2003 | 87 | 23.50 | |
| 2002 | 72 | 24.50 | |
| Data from reporters without borders, who also compile rank lower indicated more freedom. | |||
The government in Sierra Leone enacts strong control over the media in the country. They control one of the only free terrestrial television networks and use legislation to control media content. Society and members of the political elite also impose a strong control on what is produced with some subjects seen as taboo and violence used by the political establishment against journalists. For example, Harry Yansaneh, the acting editor of For di People, died in 2005 of kidney failure from the injuries caused by an attack by people allegedly sent by a deputy in the ruling party. International organisations also control significant parts of the media in Sierra Leone. For example the only continuously broadcasting radio station in the country is run by the UN and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
runs one of the most popular radio stations. However, most of the radio stations in the country are independent commercially owned stations and which is also the case for the newspaper industry. In 2007 Sierra Leone was ranked 121 out of 169 countries on the scale of press freedom.
The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, and freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
; however, the government at times restricts these rights in practice. Under legislation enacted in 1980, all newspapers must register with the Ministry of Information and pay sizeable registration fees and the Criminal Libel Law including Seditious Libel Law of 1965 is used to control what is published in the media. This has led to journalists being imprisoned, for example, Paul Kamara
Paul Kamara
Paul Kamara is a Sierra Leonean journalist, football manager, and cabinet minister.-Background:Kamara was born on 12 August 1956 in Kambia District, Sierra Leone. He is Catholic and a former priest, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sierra Leone...
, editor of For di People, was imprisoned for 14 months during 2004 and 2005 for seditious libel. The Sierra Leone Independent Media Commission was created in 2000 as an independent body to regulate the mass media.
In 2006 President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah served as President of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007.He worked for the United Nations Development Programme and returned to Sierra Leone in 1992...
committed to reforming the laws governing the press and media to create a freer system for journalist to work in.
Foreign media
The coverage of Sierra Leone in foreign media has mainly focused on events connected with the country's civil war and diamond trade. Sierra Leone was the setting of the 2006 Edward ZwickEdward Zwick
Edward M. Zwick is an American filmmaker and film producer noted for his epic films about social and racial issues. He has been described as a "throwback to an earlier era, an extremely cerebral director whose movies consistently feature fully rounded characters, difficult moral issues, and plots...
film Blood Diamond
Blood Diamond (film)
Blood Diamond is a 2006 political thriller film co-produced and directed by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou...
, set in 1999 during the period of civil war. In the film, Solomon Vandy's son, Dia, is forcibly conscripted into the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Starring Leonardo De Caprio. The Sierra Leone diaspora has been responsible for writing a high proportion of books by Sierra Leone published from Sierra Leone authors. These include A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, written by Ishmael Beah
Ishmael Beah
Ishmael Beah is a former Sierra Leonean child soldier and the author of the published memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.-Early years:...
, was published during 2007. The book recalls the experiences of Ishmael during the war in Sierra Leone and his following rehabilitation. The author was interviewed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
on February 14th 2007. Sierra Leone was the subject of Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's hit single "Diamonds from Sierra Leone
Diamonds from Sierra Leone
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a Grammy-winning song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on July 4, 2005 as the lead single of his second studio album, Late Registration. The song contains a sample of the theme song for the 1971 James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever as performed by...
" and the video feature the plight of children used to mine conflict diamonds.
The content of foreign media influenced rebel groups in the country, for example the West Side Boys
West Side Boys
The West Side Boys aka West Side Niggaz or West Side Junglers, were an armed group in Sierra Leone, sometimes described as a splinter faction of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council....
, especially American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rap and gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
music and the media portrayal of the culture surrounding it.
External links
- AwarenessTimes]
- Concord Times
- Cocorioko
- Standard Times
- Sierra Herald
- The Pool Newspaper
- The Awoko
- Christian Monitor
- The Patrotic Vanguard
- The Cotton Tree Magazine
- http://thenewdailynation.com/ New Daily Nation
- http://www.sierraleonedailymail.com/The Daily Mail