By Hassan Solokoh Bockarie
The Media Reform Coordinating Group has expressed deep concern over Sierra Leone’s sharp decline in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, warning that the country’s media landscape is becoming increasingly fragile despite recent legal gains.
In a statement marking this year’s World Press Freedom Day, commemorated on May 3 under the theme, “Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development and Security,” the MRCG joined its constituent member, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, alongside press freedom advocates worldwide, in celebrating the vital role of independent journalism.
The group noted with serious concern that Sierra Leone has fallen 23 places in the latest Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, dropping from 56th position in previous years to 79th out of 180 countries in 2026. According to the MRCG, this dramatic decline effectively reverses the gains recorded in 2024 and 2025 and signals a troubling deterioration in the country’s media environment.
While acknowledging positive developments—such as Sierra Leone’s pluralistic media landscape and the absence of widespread journalist detentions or killings—the MRCG stressed that significant structural challenges remain. These include the economic vulnerability of media institutions, poor remuneration and working conditions for journalists, and persistent political interference that continues to threaten editorial independence.
“The current situation is precarious and deteriorating,” the organization warned, adding that practical challenges facing journalists are increasingly overshadowing the legal reforms achieved in recent years.
The MRCG called on the Government of Sierra Leone, media institutions, and all stakeholders to recommit themselves to protecting freedom of expression and strengthening the country’s democratic foundations. It emphasized that press freedom remains essential for the promotion of human rights, national development, and security.
The organization further urged the government to fulfill its commitment to supporting independent journalism by providing the promised funding for the National Fund for Public Interest Media, describing the initiative as critical to the sustainability and independence of the country’s media sector.
As Sierra Leone joins the rest of the world in observing World Press Freedom Day, the MRCG’s message is unequivocal: safeguarding media freedom is not merely a democratic obligation, but a national imperative.
