Harassment of Female Journalists Is a Threat to Free Speech -SLAJ President Blasts
Making his speech at the Presidential Media Cocktail, the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has underscored online harassment and bullying of female journalists and other critical and independent journalists as a threat to free speech and press freedom from political supporters.
“We continue to struggle with online harassment of journalists, especially women and critical and independent journalists,” Ahmed Sahid Nasralla emphasized, adding that, the main perpetrators are political supporters at home and in the Diaspora.
“This is killing independent and public interest journalism,” warned Nasralla.
The SLAJ President announced the introduction of the association’s first-ever Gender Equality Policy for the media, aimed at tackling gender disparities within the industry. He also highlighted the success of the Iverify platform, developed with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which has become a critical tool in combating misinformation and promoting information integrity.
However, Nasralla did not shy away from pointing out ongoing challenges. He called for a review of restrictive sections of the cyber and defamation laws, which continue to pose threats to free speech. Additionally, he highlighted the economic difficulties facing the media, including government debts for advertising services and the unfair distribution of advertising funds.
The Presidential Media Cocktail was held at Country Lodge on Tuesday 10th December 2024, attended by members of the media and top government officials, underscored the urgent need for reforms to protect journalists and uphold press freedom in Sierra Leone.
