STATE OF THE MEDIA REPORT 2023

When one systematically interrogates the trajectory of our intellectual origins and practices, as a
discipline, Communication & Media practice in Sierra Leone, since 2013 (the emergence of the
MRCG), has vastly improved, virtually, in every domain, despite the slipups intermittently by media
and communication practitioners. The result of this volume is a massive work done by surveying a
particular body of research in media and communication that would be interesting to the general
readers, students and academics.
In adopting the above approach this journal produces the following: Media Ecosystem in Sierra
Leone: Practices, Operations, Regulations, Freedom and Capacity Building, the Report examines the
media ecosystem in Sierra Leone. Key aspects covered are operations, regulations, freedom, capacity
building, and the media’s contributions to national development. The article is informed by
theoretical constructs in the political economy of the media. Media and elections and media as a
catalyst for sustainable development were also interrogated.
To help the rigor of the analyses, authors employed Mixed Methods (Qualitative and Quantitative),
including Critical Analysis. These analytical frames guide one to follow the principles or procedures
of inquiry in a particular field of study. Rather than continuing with outdated approaches, they
embraced modern methodologies that match today’s challenges to produce robustly researched
articles.
As a professional journalist, with extensive years of experience and, as an academic in the
communication and media discipline, I have personally benefited from previous academic and
technical writings of contributors to the MRCG journals. The authors are not just qualified in their
disciplines, but their abilities to simplify and transmit complex, striking and usable pieces of
information for different categories of people are remarkable.
The Advisory Board of the MRCG profusely and sincerely extends its best wishes for a successful
and productive 2024 to the past and present contributors to the MRCG’s academic and professional
work for over 11 years now.
Lastly, as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the MRCG-SL, I am beholden to our Partners, Board
members and Staff of the MRCG for their immeasurable support and substantial inputs to making the
production a reality.
Victor Massaquoi, PhD
Chairman, MRCG-SL Advisory Board