These two photos show the first ever meeting held between President Ernest Bai Koroma and Kelvin Lewis led association of journalists (SLAJ). President Koroma has assured SLAJ that he will continue to give journalists all the space they need to do their work "within the law" but he also said as President, he had an obligation to see that the privacy and reputations of his citizens were upheld by journalists. President Koroma also pointed out to SLAJ executive members that the security of the State can not be allowed to be compromised.
President Koroma said “I have been a friend of the media for a very long time and I intend to continue to be a friend of the media” but he said, "the reputations and privacy of all Sierra Leoneans including public officials must be respected".
President Koroma further reiterated his promise to "review" the 1965 criminal libel laws but against a background of "ensuring everybody is protected".
"The journalist must be protected. Security personnel must be protected. The public must be protected.
State Security must be protected. The reputations and privacy of all Sierra Leoneans including members of my government must be protected," the country's Fountain of Honour pointed out.
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Newspaper in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
