Sierra Leone has leaped up the Press Freedom Index, from 64 in 2024 to 56 in 2025. The annual report, which is released by Reporters Without Borders, is yet another indication of all the steps President Julius Maada Bio’s government has taken to strengthen the media and guarantee its freedom.
The annual report takes into account several indicators, from political, legal, to social. Sierra Leone sits in the top 10 of the press freedom index in Africa, ahead of countries like Zambia, Senegal and Kenya.
The country’s journey to press freedom was supercharged by President Bio when he moved forward to axe the more than fifty-year-old Criminal and Seditious Libel Laws. The report also showed that no journalists or media worker is in detention as a result of their work.
Speaking on the country’s remarkable progress on the index, Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor Bah said the President has constantly shown his ambition to strengthen the press and create an environment where they will do their job without any political interference.
“This report is an indication of that,” he said.
The report highlighted the decline in the score on the economic indicator for most African countries; recognizing this challenge, the government of President Bio had gone ahead to cushion this impact by providing the annual subvention to the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists. This subvention model has guaranteed the viability and independence of the parent media organisation and its affiliates.
“In an era where the civic space is shrinking in most countries, Sierra Leone is leading the way in expanding it, this report is a testament to that fact.” Minister Bah said.
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education has led the way in expanding information access for everyone, with its newly formatted weekly press briefing and public engagement programs for the benefit of journalists and the public
