Media in Sierra Leone

Media in Sierra Leone began with the introduction of the first modern printing press in Africa 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, especially outside Freetown, partially due to the low levels of literacy 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 Service (SLBS) was created by the government in 1934 making it the earliest English language radio broadcaster service in West Africa. 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 stations in Sierra Leone but outside the capital Freetown television is not watched by a great many people. Internet 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, and freedom of the press; 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 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. Foreign media, particularly American gangsta rap had an influence on the combatants in the civil war particularly the West Side Boys.

History

The first modern printing press in Africa arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1794 but this was destroyed by a French raiding party before it was ever used. Another press arrived in 1800 when the newspaper 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.Citation | last =Ziegler | first =Dhyana | last2 =Molefi K. | first2 =Asante | publication-date =1992 | title =Thunder and Silence: The Mass Media in Africa | pages=11-12| publisher =Africa World Press | isbn =0865432511] 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.Citation | last =Jalloh | first =Tanu | publication-date =28 December 2007 | title =Sierra Leone: Newspaper Development | publication-place =Freetown, Sierra Leone | publisher =Concord Times | url =http://allafrica.com/stories/200712310637.html | accessdate =2008-04-19] The year 1855 saw the foundation of the "African Interpreter and Advocate"by 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 radio broadcasting service in 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. [Citation | last =Wells | first =Alan | publication-date =1997 | title =World Broadcasting: a comparative view | publisher =Greenwood Publishing Group | page =173 | isbn =1567502458]

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.

Print

Newspapers

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. [Citation
last =Wilson
first =Harry
publication-date =2005
title =Press Freedoms and Human Rights:2005 Year End Press Freedom Brief
publisher =Commonwealth Press Union
url =http://www.cpu.org.uk/pf_2005_review.html
accessdate =2008-04-20] [Citation | publication-date =2006 | title =Sierra Leone - Annual report 2006 | publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom | url =http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17400
accessdate =2008-04-20] International organisations also control significant parts of the media in Sierra Leone. [Citation | publication-date =7 September 2007 | title =Dangerous climate of hatred on eve of presidential election run-off | publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom | url =http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=23585
accessdate =2008-04-20] For example the only continuously broadcasting radio station in the country is run by the UN and the BBC 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. [Citation | publication-date =2007 | title =Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007| publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom | url =http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24025 | accessdate =2008-04-20]

The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees freedom of speech, and freedom of the press; 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.Citation | publication-date=2006 | title=Sierra Leone - Annual report 2006| publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom | url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17400 | accessdate =2008-04-20] This has led to journalists being imprisoned, for example, Paul Kamara, 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 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 Zwick film "Blood Diamond", 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, 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 John Stewart on The Daily Show on February 14th 2007. Sierra Leone was the subject of Kanye West's hit single Diamonds from Sierra Leone 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, especially American rap and gangsta rap music and the media portrayal of the culture surrounding it. [Citation | last =Reno | first =William | publication-date =February 2003 | title =Political Networks in a Failing State The Roots and Future of Violent Conflict in Sierra Leone
publisher =Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft, International Politics and Society | url =http://www.usaid.gov/sl/sl_new/news/2004/040531_atunda_ayenda/index.htm | accessdate =2008-04-21]

ee also

* Communications in Sierra Leone

References

External links

* [http://www.news.sl Awareness Times]
* [http://www.concordTimessl.com/ Concord Times]
* [http://www.cocorioko.net/ Cocorioko]
* [http://standardtimespress.net/ Standard Times]
* [http://www.sierraherald.com/ Sierra Herald]
* [http://poolnewspaper.tripod.com/homepage.html/ The Pool Newspaper]
* [http://www.awoko.org/ The Awoko]
* [http://www.christian-monitor.org/cms/ Christian Monitor]
* [http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/ The Patrotic Vanguard]
* [http://www.leoneclub.org/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=10&/ The Cotton Tree Magazine]