By Aruna Turay

In Sierra Leone today, a total of 217 newspaper institutions have been officially registered. Of this total, only 47 of them are still active to date and the remaining 170 newspapers faded out.

This was according to the Chairman of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), George S. Khoryama, who was speaking at the Guild of Newspaper Editors reformative and consultative meeting held yesterday 24th January, 2022 in Freetown.

He said there is no contradiction to the fact that the Media,

Especially, the Print is today undergoing a crucifixion in the face of the social media that has stolen the glamour of newspaper journalism.

He said the once dominance force of newspaper journalism has been watered down by on-line and on-demand services/publications, these according to him include Websites and related services, audio-visual contents available via internet, WhatsApp and Facebook among others, coupled with COVID-19 that has compounded the anxieties of newspaper journalists and Journalism.

Chairman Khoryama said by IMC records, there are currently engaged with 47 active newspapers out of 217 registered nationwide. This figure, he went on, could be translated to 47 newspaper editors that form the Guild.

However, the Chairman concluded that the bottom line of all these rest with the support, education, training, qualification, exposure, economic and financial sustainability of newspapers houses.

He assured that the IMC will join the Guild of Newspaper Editors in the search for a reformed and quality journalism profession throughout the country. “That is among others, to promote a free and pluralistic media industry in the country; to ensure that media institutions achieve the highest level of efficiency in the provision of media services.” Chairman Khoryama noted.