The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the operations of media institutions across Sierra Leone. Some radio stations have adjusted their broadcasting hours, while some newspapers have reduced their frequency of publication due to inadequate revenue mobilization, according to a report by the Media Foundation for West Africa.
The report, Media and COVID-19 in Sierra Leone (March-June 2020), indicates that the COVID-19 situation has also led to downsizing and non-payment of salaries of staff in some media houses. This has become necessary because some of the stations are not able to raise the needed revenue to maintain all staff.
Newspapers have not been spared in the economic impact of the COVID-19 on the media landscape in Sierra Leone.
The Chairman of the Guild of Newspaper Editors, Donald Theo Harding, noted: “There is less employment in media and sales have also dropped. Revenue have reduced and the situation is challenging.” “Newspaper owners and proprietors are feeling the brunt of COVID-19,” he added.
The economic impact of the pandemic on the media in Sierra Leone was summed up by the SLAJ President, Sahid Ahmed Nasralla, in his 2020 World Press Freedom Day statement, “Another downside is the economy of the media or rather media poverty which has been made even worse byCOVID-19. Businesses have closed down and advertisement is not forthcoming. Prices of printingmaterials for newspapers, for example, have not only gone up but they are in short supply because of the COVID-19 restrictions locally and internationally … Consequently, many newspapers have closed down. Radio stations are struggling and scaling down broadcast time. The publishers and Station Managers are crying. Vendors are crying. The reporters are crying. The support staff arecrying.”
The report shows that, as Sierra Leone continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through the dissemination of information across various platforms, the media have generally been supportive in providing the public with information and education about COVID-19. “However, media owners and managers continue to raise concerns about difficulties in running their institutions amidst COVID-19. Some media institutions have started rotational work schedules to cope with the lack of resources to pay staff. The situation has left media institutions worried about their sustainability during the outbreak of COVID-19 and beyond,” the report indicates.
SLAJ was able to secure some support for training of journalists and some financial support for radio and television stations and newspapers for broadcasting and publishing contents on COVID-19. This is, however, not enough given the enormity of the economic impact on the media industry, according to the report.
Media Foundation for West Africa, therefore, recommended that the government of Sierra Leone put in place financial relief packages to support the media in the country in these trying times.
By Alusine Sesay
19/8/2020. ISSUE NO: 7890