The Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, has on the 7th September, 2023 officially inaugurated a one-day workshop at the Dohas Hotel in Bo , Southern Sierra Leone, which is focused on reviewing the Draft National Media and Information Policy.
The initiative is part of Sierra Leone’s commitment to transforming leadership, embracing shared governance principles, and positioning the nation as a model State in the global community.
The workshop, organized by the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE), brought together media experts from across the country to collectively draft a comprehensive National Media and Information Policy.
In his keynote address, Minister Bah stressed the urgency of addressing the media ecosystem’s challenges and commended the organizers for convening the workshop. He highlighted the evolving nature of the media landscape and encouraged media practitioners to embrace digital transformation.
Minister Bah also called upon all institutions to establish functional websites to enhance credibility in the digital age.
With a feminist background, the Minister also urged stakeholders within the media ecosystem to actively promote women’s participation in all processes related to the media industry further emphasizing the importance of gender diversity in advancing the country’s development goals, stating, “We cannot move this country forward with only men at the forefront.”
Addressing Government’s communication challenges, the Minister announced plans to review the entire Government Information Architecture. This comprehensive review aims to create a framework that enables effective communication between the Government and its citizens.
Minister Bah concluded his address by expressing his hope that the workshop’s outcomes would result in a National Media and Information Policy aligned with 21st-century media needs.
Other speakers representing organizations such as the Independent Media Commission, Right to Access Information Commission, Women in the Media Sierra Leone, and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists actively contributed to the workshop’s discussions. Together, they advocated for a National Information Policy that would empower the media to become more proactive, progressive, and participatory in shaping Sierra Leone’s future.
