🚨 *The Rise of Toxic Blogging: A Real Threat to Truth and Public Discourse in Sierra Leone*
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Sierra Leone’s online space is currently under siege. What should be a platform for truth, ideas, and accountability has instead become a breeding ground for reckless blogging and shameless misinformation. A growing number of self-proclaimed investigative journalists have taken to social media, not to educate or enlighten, but to confuse the public and destroy reputations. It’s time we address this disturbing shift that is slowly eating away at the soul of responsible public conversation.
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Journalism used to be a noble calling — rooted in facts, guided by ethics, and committed to truth. But today, that space has been hijacked by opportunists who have no respect for professional standards. Some of these bloggers, many of them based overseas, seem to find pleasure in tearing people down. They are the first to mock others when they are under attack, but the moment they are the ones exposed, they become the loudest victims.
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Like every other profession, journalism has its own rules, language, and responsibilities. Just as doctors and lawyers rely on specialized terminology in hospitals and courtrooms, journalists also operate within a framework. A professional journalist knows never to call someone a thief unless that person has been convicted in court. The correct term is “alleged thief.” Anything else can lead to legal consequences. But these digital assassins pretending to be journalists throw caution to the wind, carelessly labeling people and spreading falsehoods.
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Traditionally, when an accident or fire occurs, journalists seek out eyewitnesses, law enforcement, and emergency responders to gather credible facts. But now, some bloggers claim they saw it all, heard it all, and know everything. This habit of presenting themselves as the all-seeing authority is not only dishonest, it’s dangerous.
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The damage goes beyond fake news. These tactics are poisoning our politics. Inside the APC party, factions are actively paying bloggers to target and ruin one another. Careers are being crushed, not because of incompetence, but because of paid smear campaigns disguised as journalism. There are even audio clips of bloggers praising certain individuals one day, only to attack them the next, depending on who is footing the bill. We know who they are. And soon, the public will too.
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Let’s also be real. These bloggers don’t work in isolation. They are being fed fake stories by political players who are too afraid to show their faces. Instead, they fund these digital foot soldiers to do their dirty work. Sadly, the public, addicted to gossip and drama, often believes whatever they are told without question.
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One influencer who gained a huge following was later revealed to be an alleged human trafficker. He used his platform to manipulate people into risking their lives on dangerous migration routes, all to build pressure on asylum systems overseas. Innocent lives were put in harm’s way for the sake of a selfish political scheme.
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Even more outrageous is the way some of these bloggers now weaponize sexuality. They accuse people of being gay without evidence, using the claim as a tool for public shaming — even as they themselves hide questionable lifestyles. This is not journalism. It is digital thuggery at its worst.
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Among the most notorious names in this toxic scene is Adebayo, a man accused of duping Sierra Leoneans through fake relocation programs. He now brags that he owes no one and mocks those who feel cheated. If you’re upset, he says, go and report him. The arrogance is jaw-dropping — and so is the silence of those who once followed him.
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Let this serve as a message. Those who feed lies to bloggers like Mr Salone and Adebayo won’t stay hidden forever. When their names are made public, many will be too ashamed to even show their faces. That fear you see now in their silence is only the beginning.
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This is a warning and a call for reflection. Sierra Leoneans must start drawing the line between real journalism and paid propaganda. Our country’s future cannot be entrusted to people who trade truth for likes, shares, and foreign payouts. And as for us at Lielaylay News, if our commitment to calling out dishonesty offends anyone, so be it. When lies became so outrageous even falsehood itself was embarrassed, it ran off and hid in Bobbor Khumbor waters.
@lielaylaynews.com
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