The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has welcomed a total of 34 new members into its fold.
The new members were encouraged to be professional and uphold the responsibility of protecting the image and credibility of SLAJ.
The event, which was held yesterday at the SLAJ headquarters in Freetown was attended by past presidents and other senior members of the association.
BBC stringer in Sierra Leone and former President of SLAJ, Umaru Fofanah, noted that the profession is at a crossroad globally, especially with the advent of the social media, but what makes the traditional media outstanding is the level of professionalism.
He encouraged the new members to ensure that they become active members by paying their bills and participating in all SLAJ activities.
Kelvin Lewis who is also a former president of SLAJ narrated that SLAJ started with a fight between journalists and politicians.
He cited that during his tenure as president, Umaru Fofanah started the fight for the repeal of the libel law.
He said when took over from Umaru, he continued the fight, and eventually the current president Ahmed Nasralla continued the fight and succeeded.
He advised journalists to be careful about the sources of their stories because it can make or break their career.
He said before now, it was difficult to practise journalism without being jailed, but SLAJ has over the years helped to give journalists the freewill to do their job.
He said SLAJ is a well-respected and highly valued organization and urged new members not to do anything that will bring disrespect and destroy the legacy of SLAJ.
Current president of SLAJ, Ahmed Nasralla welcomed the new members and informed them that the mission of SLAJ is to defend freedom of the media, freedom of expression and information, uphold the ethics of journalism and exemplary standards of professional practice.,
He disclosed that SLAJ was founded in 1971 primarily to promote freedom of expression and of the press, to seek the welfare and protect of its membership, and to seek for training and capacity building opportunities for its membership.
He said SLAJ’s core values include freedom of expression and the media, responsibility, credibility, accountability, and transparency.
By: Hassan Gbassay Koroma
