AYV News, June 3, 2025
The Chief Journalist of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk), has inspired hundreds of Journalism students at the University of Makeni (UniMak) auditorium.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Sierra Leone at the Crossroads: Redefining National Identity Through Strategic Communication’, Chief Monk expressed gratitude to the Association of Mass Communicators (AMCU) at the University of Makeni for the invitation, and more importantly, for their consistency in organising the event.
He described the event as one which is deeply symbolic for him, not just because it marks his final address to the student as SLAJ President, but because they, the students of Mass Communication, represent the future custodians of not only the noble profession, but also the democracy, the truth, the national conversations, and ultimately, the collective identity.
Speaking on his achievements as SLAJ Chief Journalist, De Monk said, “We repealed the Criminal Libel Law, freeing the press from decades of oppression; we launched the first ever SLAJ Gender Equality Policy for the media to address gender imbalances in SLAJ, its affiliates and the wider media landscape in the country; we developed a road map for media development through the National Action Plan and the SLAJ Media Manifesto: the Media We Want; we introduced the National Fund for Public Interest Media, to promote independent journalism and provide alternative source of funding for media outlets embarking on such public journalism; we established the Iverify platform to counter mis and disinformation; we strengthened regional branches, increased training, and pushed for media professionalism and safety; and we held the government to account without fear, but with fairness and respect”.
He said his executive has also done many things, with the support of its partners and media stakeholders, all of which hewill not be able to outline at the event like a report card. He acknowledged that the work is far from done and far from over, adding that “the landscape is evolving. Fake news, digital propaganda, cyberbullying, and AI-generated misinformation now challenge the very truth itself that we want to tell”.
He said while they have celebrated the historic repeal of the Criminal Libel Law, they are now confronted with even more threats from the Cyber Security and Crime Act and the Counter Terrorism Act.
As young communicators, Chief Monk admonished the students that their role is not just to report, but to interpret, educate, uplift, and sometimes, provoke the very change theywant to see happen. “You are not just students. You are nation-builders in training. And the crossroads we stand at today demand a new breed of media professionals: a new breed of media professionals who understand their history, but are not trapped by it; professionals who are not content with copying foreign models but are eager to create African-cantered, Sierra Leonean narratives; and who understand that communication is not just about broadcasting or publishing, or sharing, or posting or tweeting or Xing; it is about listening, connecting, healing, and building trust”.
He called on the students, as the next generation, not to wait for leadership but to prepare for it by leading from where they are. “Challenge the status quo, but do so with knowledge and in a fair, honest and respectful manner. Speak truth to power, but arm yourself with facts. Be bold, but be ethical. Be loud, but be clear and responsible. Journalism is not a career. It is a calling. And in a country like ours, where so many voices are struggling to be heard, it is a sacred duty”.
