AYV News, July 24, 2023
The Africa Young Voices (AYV) Media Empire has honoured journalists, stringers and fellows for the June 24, 2023 multi-tier elections in Sierra Leone.
As the lead media player in the country, AYV is committed to providing quality and timely news coverage, it believes that the involvement of stringers will help the Company to achieve its goal of providing comprehensive elections coverage across the country.
The Company in March this year hired individuals who were passionate about journalism and were interested in covering and reporting the elections in Sierra Leone.
The journalists received trainings and received good understanding on the political landscape in Sierra Leone, which made them to be able to work under tight deadlines and delivered.
Their roles were to cover and report local events and activities related to the elections in their respective regions; conducted interviews, gathered information and reported on election-related news.
The journalists, stringers and fellows worked closely with AYV team of reporters and editors and ensured that their coverage of the elections was timely, accurate and comprehensive.
AYV’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Messeh Leone said as part of its preparedness to providing credible and high-quality elections coverage, the AYV Media Empire recruited hundreds of the journalists, fellows and stringers across the country.
He said the AYV believes that the media play important roles during elections in helping the electorate make informed decisions and in monitoring elections against irregularities and other attempts to undermine democratic processes.
Mr. Messeh said: “The AYV fellowship reinforced and strengthened the important roles that the media played in ensuring free and fair elections in Sierra Leone.
“This is why the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission to Sierra Leone 2023 and the Independent Media Commission (IMC) in their Statements commended the AYV for the Company’s professional coverage and reporting of the June 24, 2023 multi-tier elections. Fair, adequate and equitable is the mantra of AYV and news contents are factual, credible and at all times balance”.
He said each electioneering year, AYV recruits hundreds of stringers and fellows across the country to cover and report on electoral processes and that these stringers and fellows are trained, prepared and properly equipped to give credible, balanced and independent reporting on happenings before, during and after the elections.
Director of News and Current Affairs at AYV, Amadu Lamrana Bah congratulated the journalists, stringers and fellows for a job well-done. He encouraged them to pursuit the right path in journalism with the training they have acquired at AYV.
He said journalists are one of the key national development stakeholders which have an important role to play in facilitating political discourse, fostering transparency and information-sharing, and serving as an effective forum for public debate, all of which strengthens the democratic process.
Human Resource Director at AYV, Saudatu Timbo said in January this year, the Company re-introduced its media fellowship and stringers on election reporting placement programme which commenced in March 2023.
She said the AYV Sierra Leone Decides 2023 elections fellowship and stringers on election reporting this year was expanded to include people from across the world and that the Company seek reliable people to work as election stringers, journalists and fellows.
Mrs. Timbo said: “AYV offered a series of intensive training sessions on reporting elections, democracy and human rights as well as mentorship and support for innovative and impactful election-related in-depth stories/series of stories to fellows and stringers.
“The AYV Media Fellows/stringers on Election Reporting seeks to equip people from all walks of life including independent news outlets and freelancers in empowering the electorate through crucial reporting of underrepresented voices and underreported issues during elections. This program expands the pilot AYV Media Fellowship/stringers on Election Reporting which was launched in 2017.”
AYV is a one-stop media house providing a cutting-edge communication solution across the world. It has TV channels, radio, newspaper, printing press and it also broadcast on DStv Ch. 399 in Sierra Leone and across Africa.
AYV International is headquartered in London, United Kingdom with networks across the world including in Africa, Asia, Europe, Pacific, the Americas, and Caribbean.
AYV has established a strategic partnership with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the world service programme in London. This partnership offers both AYV and the BBC a world-class broadcasting platform and resources for our audiences.
The AYV’s reputation and the strength of its brand in Sierra Leone and around the world are based upon its fundamental values of editorial integrity, independence, and impartiality. These values are central both to the AYV’s Public Services and our Commercial Services. Audiences everywhere must be able to trust the AYV. To achieve that, our impartiality, editorial integrity, and independence must not be compromised by outside interests and arrangements. We must maintain independent editorial control over our content.
The AYV fellowship and stringers Programme has enabled the best and the brightest people to contribute to election process and build their skills and experience.
