Over 400 delegates of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists are expected today in the northern provincial headquarter town of Makeni for a two-day annual general meeting which opens tomorrow.
It is the first time the association is holding its annual gathering since the kelvin Lewis-led executive were elected in April last year.
In the last one year, journalists have faced a series of arrests and detention, a period press freedom activists have referred to as the worst attack against the media since the civil war in 2002.
Among other things, journalists will discuss a proposed amendment to the SLAJ constitution.
Secretary General, Moses Kargbo says they wish to take an introspective assessment of the way members carry themselves and how journalists execute their responsibilities but also how they account for their decisions in society.
“We realise that some of our colleagues should be encouraged to lead a decent professional life. Report responsibly and in ways that attract respect and dignity of the profession,” he told a local radio station in Freetown.
Media lecturer at Fourah Bay College, Tonya Musa, says it is about time journalists took responsibility for what they put out in the form of news.
(C) Politico 05/06/14
