By Newman Anthony Levey in Bo
Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has urged provincial journalists to report accurate information on the Coronavirus pandemic. The Vice President made the appeal whiles visiting the Southern region of the country last week.
He said the role of the journalist was crucial in the fight against the pandemic.
“There is need to re-enforce public information. I think that is where the journalists, the fourth estate, will come in to work with local stakeholders, community leaders and some of the government officials that are working within this integrated team,” he said.
The media is part of several key stakeholder groups in the fight against the virus. Whiles the country is grappling with medical response, it also must deal with fake news that is mostly circulated through social media.
The Minister of Information, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, said at the same meeting that fake news could be fatal. He cited the death of the wife of a journalist, Aruna Turay, as a result of fake news.
Mantie Turay died last week after a cardiac attack when she was rushing to pick her daughter from school, following a fake news around social media about vaccination of kids in schools.
Vice President Jalloh held the press conference at the conclusion of a visit to border towns and villages as part of monitoring the country’s response preparedness for the virus.
On Tuesday, President Julius Maada Bio announced the country’s first confirmed case of the virus. It since since increased to two on Wednesday.
Jalloh said he was satisfied by the measures he saw in the border areas. He said much of government effort had been proactive in dealing with the virus.
VP Jalloh also held talks with hospitals to address challenges like water and accommodation.
The VP said he also held talks with local people, community leaders to discuss information dissemination and awareness raising, a process journalists would be a key component of.
