By Joseph Turay
Having followed with considerable concern the recent attacks against some Sierra Leonean journalists and media houses by politicians and their supporters, particularly those associated with the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government, I think it is important to address a fundamental misunderstanding about journalism, political neutrality and the democratic rights of journalists.
This is not something new in Sierra Leone. We witnessed similar behaviour during the previous All People’s Congress (APC) government, when some APC ministers, politicians and their supporters attacked, intimidated and attempted to discredit journalists who expressed views or published reports they disagreed with. In some instances, these confrontations even became physical. Unfortunately, the same pattern appears to be repeating itself under a different political administration.
What is particularly disturbing is that politicians and their supporters often attack journalists simply because they openly express support for a political party, presidential candidate or political ideology. Their usual argument is that journalists should not be political, should not take sides and must always remain neutral. But neutral about what, and in what capacity?
I think it is important to distinguish between journalistic independence and political neutrality. They are not necessarily the same thing, and unfortunately, even some highly educated people in Sierra Leone, including politicians themselves, appear to misunderstand this distinction.
Journalists are citizens before they are journalists. They have constitutional rights to freedom of expression, opinion, association and political participation. Choosing journalism as a profession does not mean surrendering those rights or abandoning one’s political convictions.
There is nothing inherently unprofessional about a journalist openly supporting a political party or presidential candidate whose ideology, policies or vision for national development they believe in. The same applies to media organisations expressing political preferences through editorial endorsements.
Look at the United States, where established media organisations such as “The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Washington Times have publicly endorsed presidential candidates from different political parties. Their editorial positions do not automatically invalidate their journalism or make their entire newsrooms professionally incompetent.
The fundamental issue is not whether a journalist has political opinions or supports a political candidate. It is whether that journalist allows personal political interests to compromise the truth, accuracy, fairness and integrity of professional reporting.
We must understand that impartiality in news reporting is not the same as having no personal political convictions. A journalist covering an election must verify facts, provide fair representation of competing views and avoid deliberately misleading the public. However, that does not mean the journalist cannot personally believe that one political ideology, party or candidate offers a better vision for the country.
In fact, openly declaring one’s political position can promote greater transparency than secretly supporting a political interest while publicly pretending to have no political preferences.
Journalists, must remain accountable to the truth and the public interest, not to political parties or politicians. Equally, politicians must understand that press freedom does not mean journalists should become politically voiceless or surrender their democratic rights to satisfy political interests.
Ar Dae say dis because are Dae see some SLPP politicians Dae tok but annual subvention way government den Dae give to SLAJ for help push the work of the association…🤔
Are go tok on subversion to SLAJ another time, make we people den understand say subvention lek any subvention, no to money for Journalists to shear or money way den Dae give to individual media houses….
So you wan tell me say , d subvention way den Dae give to schools or ministries Na for civil servants for shear ? After all, Na tax payers money …no to SLPP money or minister money ….and no to favour 😃
Na d people of Salone den money …and no to now e begin…SLAJ Na a civil space organization, way form part of government…
My concern is that in Sierra Leone, the language of neutrality and impartiality is sometimes invoked selectively, particularly when journalists publish opinions or take positions that certain politicians and their supporters find uncomfortable. Instead of engaging with the substance of the journalist’s argument, they resort to personal attacks, intimidation and accusations of political bias.
This should concern everyone, regardless of political affiliation. Those who defended press freedom when APC was in power should defend it under SLPP, and those who defended it under SLPP should do the same if APC returns to power. Press freedom cannot be a political privilege reserved for journalists who agree with the party in government.
My position is simple; journalists have every right to express political opinions, support political ideas and openly endorse candidates, provided they remain truthful, transparent and professionally accountable.
The ultimate responsibility of journalism is to the truth, the people and the public interest. Political neutrality should never be confused with political silence, and professional independence should never be mistaken for the absence of personal convictions.
A journalist’s right to hold a political opinion does not give anyone the right to threaten, intimidate, harass or physically attack that journalist. Disagreement is democratic; intimidation is not.
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