By Kabs Kanu
At the time that some of us started having sense of the world, Sierra Leone had a very vibrant, dynamic, lively, censorious, analytical and biting press. The same media had fought and ushered Sierra Leone into Independence in 1961.
There were publishers and editors who did not compromise their professional ethics or calling. They feared nothing. They were as bold as a lion. Some of the newspapers I can remember were DAILY MAIL, DAILY GUARDIAN, WE YONE, SHEKPENDEH, AWOKO, SCOPE, THINK, THE EXPRESS, THE PEOPLE, UNITY etc.
The difference between these papers and what passes today as media in Sierra Leone is like life and death. Today’s Sierra Leone media are very much compromised. Editors today are either afraid to speak the truth and hold leaders and politicians to account or have such high esteem for them that they do not want to offend them ; or loyalty to their party, tribe, ethnic group or region is so overwhelming the government does nothing wrong. Some editors and publishers are men-and – women pleasers and value the handouts and support of these men and women more than their calling. Some are in the profession because they could not get jobs elsewhere. Journalism has become a dumping ground in Sierra Leone.
It is not that every newspaper must be anti- government for the media atmosphere to be described as vibrant, rewarding or vital to the interests, demands and aspirations of the people. It is natural in life that there must of necessity be pro- government newspapers too. Even in advanced democracies, like the U.S and Britain, who set the standards, there are mixtures of pro and anti – government newspapers. It is not a crime to belong to any part of the spectrum. OBJECTIVITY IN JOURNALISM is an ideal taught in journalism and mass communication schools but it does not exist in real life. Nowhere in the world is journalism objective. Media serve vested interests or the subjective views of their publishers.
The problem in our country is therefore not the absence of objective journalism. What is missing in Sierra Leone Journalism today is quality discourse and quality national debate on the matters that affect the people. In the good, old days of Sierra Leone journalism, partisan politics and support for certain government were still manifest. Man will always be man. But what was strikingly different was that in those days journalists were well trained and sound not only in logical reasoning and communication but were well educated in current affairs, the rubrics of politics and life‘s matters . There were therefore constant debates in opposition and government newspapers between editors and opinion – makers on national issues which were very educative and entertaining.
Who would not recall with nostalgia the blockbuster press wars that occurred between Dr. Sarif Easmon of the APC and Aaron Cole of the SLPP in 1966 during the bitter run up to the 1967 General Elections? What about the vitriolic debates between the APC firebrand Ibrahim Taqi and SLPP opinion- makers in the THINK, WE YONE, SHEKPENDEH and UNITY newspapers? What about the constant media bickering between Sam Metzger of first UNITY, then THE NATION and WE YONE and Julius Cole ( His real name was Brima Gbow) of the SLPP The People newspaper ? In those days, you rushed to buy newspapers just to enjoy these press wars. People debated the issues vigorously in a very thrilling and intellectual fashion. National issues were discussed and not swept under the carpet, like today.
There were other “troublesome “ editors and journalists too like I. T. A. Wallace -Johnson , Sam Short, Sam Hollist, Alimamy Conteh , Clarence Labor , etc. etc. Whenever they wrote an article, whether in favor of or against the government, you had something to learn from them, even if you disagreed with their views.
What about the columns of READERS’ LETTERS in newspapers, where members of the public blew their minds on burning national issues and proffered solutions? Today, Sierra Leoneans hardly read, let alone send their opinions to newspapers.
In those days, editors and op/ed writers depended on wit, rhetoric, intellect, colorful language and logic to take on opponents in No-holds-barred press wars on the pages of the newspapers. I used to prefer going hungry in school and not using my lunch money, to save it to buy newspapers after school, just to enjoy these virulent, absorbing and educative debates in newspapers.
Today, things have changed. Nobody challenges your opinions with intellectual and sound logic anymore. What they do is cuss you out and label you as a hater, tribalist, disgruntled element, terrorist or they frame false reports against you.
Newspapers are very poorly produced; news is scanty with adverts covering the whole newspaper and there is hardly any interesting opinion article or feature.
Quality discourse and debates full of fire, brimstone and logic are no longer possible in the Sierra Leone media or social media forums. Unlike other country’s forums, Sierra Leonean social media platforms and forums are therefore as very boring as the newspapers and full of irrelevant banter, hero worship, threats, intimidation, blackmail , bootlicking, profanities and bully pulpits run by verbally abusive forumites who think they know it all but fail to demonstrate it through reasoned , instructive and logical responses.
Sierra Leone Journalism has fallen from the lofty heights it once enjoyed when our country was regarded as the FLEET STREET OF WEST AFRICA and the BEACON OF LIGHT of Africa.
