02/08/2025
*Break News‼️‼️‼️‼️
Mohamed Emmanuel Koroma Eloquently Engages at SLAJ 2025 Southern Regional Debate*
1st August 2025 | Bo City | In a highly anticipated debate organized by the Sierra Leone Reporters Union (SLRU) South ahead of the SLAJ Southern Regional bye-elections slated for 9th August 2025, Emmanuel Precious Mohamed Koroma, vying for the position of Regional Secretary General, delivered a thoughtful and inspiring performance. The debate, held in Bo City, covered key areas of concern for journalists in the region.
During his personal introduction, Emmanuel reflected on his journey as a journalist, highlighting his over ten years of experience in both traditional and new media. He also shared his role as the current station manager of Wanjama 100.1 FM in Pujehun. He emphasized his dedication to leadership, ethics, and capacity building, underlining his passion for service within the association.
When addressing his motivation for seeking a second term, Emmanuel explained that his first tenure (2022–2025) has been a period of lessons and progress. He expressed his ambition to complete projects he initiated, particularly in areas of inclusiveness, innovation, and capacity building, aligning with both regional and national SLAJ development agendas.
On the question of Press Freedom, Emmanuel pledged to remain an uncompromising advocate for free and fair media practice. He proposed creating a monitoring desk to track violations and coordinate rapid responses to threats against journalists.
Speaking about the welfare, safety, and security of journalists, Emmanuel committed to strengthening emergency response mechanisms, ensuring prompt legal, health, and financial support whenever members face threats or attacks. He stressed the importance of advocating for insurance coverage for SLAJ members.
In his remarks on Gender, Mr. Koroma promised to expand opportunities for female journalists, ensuring gender-balanced representation, mentorship programs, and protection from harassment.
Touching on the relationship between SLAJ and government/stakeholders, he called for structured and regular engagements that foster mutual respect, access to information, and accountability while safeguarding the independence of the press.
Addressing countering disinformation, Prescious proposed building partnerships with community radio stations and offering regular fact-checking training to tackle misinformation and raise the credibility of regional journalism.
On institutional strengthening, Mohamed vowed to ensure a functional, open SLAJ office in the region, with digitized communication and administrative processes to prevent delays in relaying regional information to the national executive.
With regard to capacity building, he promised to introduce quarterly workshops and mentorship sessions targeting young journalists, helping them improve skills and professionalism.
Audience questions followed, including concerns from young journalists about mentorship. Emmanuel assured them that one of his key priorities is establishing mentorship structures across the region. Responding to a question about the frequent closure of the SLAJ office, he pledged to ensure the office remains open and accessible. He also explained strategies for timely communication between regional and national levels.
In view of the above, Emmanuel Precious Mohamed appealed to delegates for their votes, promising to use his experience, passion, and vision to work closely with the regional and national executives in making SLAJ Southern Region a hub of professionalism, incand growth.
