The Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) today joins its constituent member organisation, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), and other press freedom institutions and advocates in Sierra Leone and across the world to observe ‘World Press Freedom Day’ on Sunday, 3rd May 2026, under the theme: “Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development and Security.”
World Press Freedom Day, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, commemorates the Declaration of Windhoek.
The MRCG notes with concern that this year’s ranking comes at a time when the country’s overall score has significantly declined, falling 23 places to 79th out of 180 nations in the Reporters Without Borders 2026 World Press Freedom Index. It is further concerned that, despite prior advances, Sierra Leone’s press freedom situation in 2026 is best characterised as precarious and deteriorating, reflecting a combination of escalating practical difficulties and legal advances. This drop undoes gains made in 2024 and 2025, when the nation had advanced to 56th place, indicating a deteriorating media environment in a very short period of time.
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