Sierra Leone

=== Media ===

{{Main|Media of Sierra Leone}}

[[File:Radio listener in Sierra Leone.jpg|thumb|A radio listener in [[Kailahun]]]]

Media in Sierra Leone began with the introduction of the first [[printing press]] in Africa at the start of the 19th century. A strong free journalistic tradition developed with the creation of several newspapers. In the 1860s, the country became a journalist hub for Africa, with professionals travelling to the country from across the continent. At the end of the 19th century, the industry went into decline, and when radio was introduced in the 1930s, it became the primary communication media in the country.

The [[Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service]] (SLBS) was created by the colonial government in 1934 making it the earliest English language radio broadcaster service in West Africa. The service began broadcasting television in 1963, with coverage extended to all the districts in the country in 1978. In April 2010, the SLBS merged with the [[United Nations]] peacekeeping radio station in Sierra Leone to form the [[Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icfj.org/node/37444 |title=At Long Last, Recruitment Begins at Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation {{pipe}} ICFJ – International Center for Journalists |publisher=ICFJ |date=17 March 2011 |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194354/http://www.icfj.org/node/37444 |archive-date=29 October 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slbc.sl/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SLBC-REPORT-Final-Copy.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811043953/http://www.slbc.sl/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SLBC-REPORT-Final-Copy.pdf |archive-date=11 August 2013 |title=Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) Maiden Report 2010-2011}}</ref> the government-owned current national broadcaster in Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees [[freedom of speech]], and [[freedom of the press]]; however, the government maintains strong control of media, and at times restricts these rights in practice.<ref>{{cite web |author=Reporters Without Borders |url=http://www.trust.org/item/20131024140514-sg47u/ |title=Sierra Leone – Editorial criticizing president prompts multiple proceedings |publisher=Trust.org |date=24 October 2013 |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-date=2 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402160721/http://www.trust.org/item/20131024140514-sg47u/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/sierra-leone-editors-arrested-after-publishing-article-comparing-president-to-a-rat/2013/10/21/168d8172-3a53-11e3-b0e7-716179a2c2c7_story.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20131025175049/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/sierra-leone-editors-arrested-after-publishing-article-comparing-president-to-a-rat/2013/10/21/168d8172-3a53-11e3-b0e7-716179a2c2c7_story.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=25 October 2013 | title=Sierra Leone editors arrested after publishing article comparing pres... | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=25 October 2013 | access-date=27 January 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Greenslade |first=Roy|author-link=Roy Greenslade |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/oct/25/press-freedom-sierraleone |title=Editor arrested for comparing Sierra Leone president to a rat {{pipe}} Media |journal=The Guardian |date=25 October 2013 |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/10/21/sierra-leone-editors-arrested-after-publishing-article-comparing-president-to/ |title=Sierra Leone editors arrested after publishing article comparing president to a rat |publisher=Fox News |date=23 October 2013 |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.africareview.com/News/Sierra-Leone-intensifies-media-crackdown/-/979180/2043834/-/u0oloaz/-/index.html |title=Sierra Leone intensifies media crackdown – News|first=Kemo|last=Cham |publisher=africareview.com |date=21 October 2013|access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-date=18 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718035744/http://www.africareview.com/News/Sierra-Leone-intensifies-media-crackdown/-/979180/2043834/-/u0oloaz/-/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201310250762.html |title=Sierra Leone: In Sierra Leone, Journalists Held On Libel, Sedition Charges |publisher=allAfrica.com |date=24 October 2013 |access-date=20 March 2014}}</ref> Some subjects are seen as taboo by society and members of the political elite; imprisonment and violence have been used by the political establishment against journalists.<ref>{{cite web
 |last =Wilson
 |first =Harry
 |year =2005
 |title =Press Freedoms and Human Rights:2005 Year End Press Freedom Brief
 |publisher =Commonwealth Press Union
 |url =http://www.cpu.org.uk/pf_2005_review.html
 |access-date =20 April 2008
 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071124131843/http://www.cpu.org.uk/pf_2005_review.html
 |archive-date =24 November 2007
 |url-status =dead
 |df =dmy-all
 }}</ref><ref name="Annual06"/>

Under legislation enacted in 1980, all newspapers must register with the Ministry of Information and pay sizeable registration fees. The Criminal [[Libel]] Law, including Seditious Libel Law of 1965, is used to control what is published in the media.<ref name="Annual06">{{cite web
 |year =2006
 |title =Sierra Leone – Annual report 2006
 |publisher =Reporters without Borders:For Press Freedom
 |url =http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17400
 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090614032911/http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17400
 |archive-date =14 June 2009
 |access-date =20 April 2008
 |url-status =dead
 |df =dmy-all
 }}</ref>

In 2006, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah committed to reforming the laws governing the press and media to create a freer system for journalists to work in.<ref name="Annual06"/> {{As of|2013}} Sierra Leone is ranked 61st (up two slots from 63rd in 2012) out of 179 countries on Reporters Without Borders' [[Press Freedom Index]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2013 |title=Press Freedom Index 2013 |publisher=Reporters without Borders |url=http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html |access-date=2 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215183842/http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013%2C1054.html |archive-date=15 February 2013}}</ref>

[[Print media]] is not widely read in Sierra Leone, especially outside Freetown and other major cities, partially due to the low levels of [[literacy]] in the country.<ref name="BBC"/> In 2007 there were 15 daily newspapers in the country, as well as those published weekly.<ref name="Jalloh">{{cite web |last =Jalloh |first =Tanu |date =28 December 2007 |title =Sierra Leone: Newspaper Development |location =Freetown, Sierra Leone |publisher=Concord Times |url =http://allafrica.com/stories/200712310637.html |access-date =19 April 2008}}</ref> Among newspaper readership, young people are likely to read newspapers weekly and older people daily. The majority of newspapers are privately run and are often critical of the government. The standard of print journalism tends to be low owing to lack of training, and people trust the information published in newspapers less than that found on the radio.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |date =June 2007 |title =Media use, and attitudes towards media in Sierra Leone:A comprehensive baseline study |work=[[BBC World Service]] |url =http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/trust/pdf/media_report_2007.pdf |access-date =19 April 2007}}</ref>

[[File: Isata Mahoi radio editor and actress.jpg|thumb|[[Isata Mahoi]] shown editing radio programmes in Talking Drum studio [[Freetown]]; she is also an actress in the Sierra Leone radio soap opera ''[[Atunda Ayenda]]'']]

Radio is the most popular and most-trusted media in Sierra Leone, with 85% of people having access to a radio and 72% of people in the country listening to the radio daily.<ref name="BBC"/> These levels do vary between areas of the country, with the [[Western Area]] having the highest levels and [[Kailahun]] the lowest. Stations mainly consist of local commercial stations with a limited broadcast range, combined with a few stations with national coverage – [[Capital Radio Sierra Leone]] being the largest of the commercial stations.

The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) ran one of the most popular stations in the country, broadcasting programs in a range of languages. The UN mission was restructured in 2008 and it was decided that the [[United Nations Radio|UN Radio]] would be merged with SLBS to form the new Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). This merger eventually happened in 2011 after the necessary legislation was enacted. SLBC transmits radio on [[FM broadcasting|FM]] and has two television services, one of which is uplinked by satellite for international consumption. FM relays of the [[BBC World Service]] (in Freetown, Bo, Kenema and Makeni), [[Radio France Internationale]] (Freetown only) and [[Voice of America]] (Freetown only) are also broadcast.

Outside the capital Freetown and other major cities, television is not watched by a great many people, although Bo, Kenema and Makeni are served by their own relays of the main SLBC service. There are three free terrestrial television stations in Sierra Leone, one run by the government SLBC and the other two are private stations in Freetown, Star TV which is run by the owner of the ''Standard-Times'' newspaper and AYV – Africa Young Voices. Several religious funded TV stations operate intermittently. Two other commercial TV operators (ABC and AIT) closed after they were not profitable. In 2007, a pay-per-view service was also introduced by GTV as part of a pan-African television service in addition to the nine-year-old sub-Saharan Digital satellite television service (DStv) originating from Multichoice Africa in South Africa. GTV subsequently went out of business, leaving DStv as the only provider of subscription satellite television in the country. Several organisations planned to operate digital terrestrial subscription TV services, with Multichoice's Go TV having built infrastructure ahead of getting a licence and ultimately failing to get a licence. ITV and SATCON are currently operational.

Internet access in Sierra Leone has been sparse but is on the increase, especially since the introduction of 3G/4G cellular phone services across the country. There are several main [[internet service providers]] (ISPs) operating in the country. Freetown has [[internet cafés]] and other businesses offering internet access. Problems experienced with access to the Internet include an intermittent electricity supply and a slow connection speed in the country outside Freetown.