The United States Embassy in Sierra Leone has concluded a two-day Speaker Programme for local Journalists and Media Professionals at various venues in Freetown. The symposium which lasted from Friday 20th to Saturday 21st June 2008 was headed by Dr. Jane Kirtley, an expert in journalism and media law who has already departed the shores of Sierra Leone was in the country from the 16th instant. She held two separate symposia in Freetown for Managers and Reporters with the goal of providing a new perspective on media related issues.

As the trainer, Dr. Jane Kirtley described a free press as one that is not subjected to government control and regulation. She noted that a courageous press should always focus on seeking the truth no matter where it would lead.

She said the press must be tireless in achieving accuracy if only maintaining a responsible press is anything serious in the minds of practitioners, adding that the press should never knowingly publish a false article. "An informed press is essential to democracy she was quoted as saying.

The representative of the United States of America, Ambassador June Carter Perry who attended the symposia reiterated her Embassy’s continued support towards the creation of a strong, independent and accurate media world as in her words "a strong element for democracy."

Ambassador Perry intimated that journalists have a crucial role in holding leaders accountable to their subjects through proper and accurate dissemination of information, as well as promoting civic education among others. She therefore called on all journalists to uphold the highest standards of the profession by discharging their duties in an honest and ethical manner. She implored them to always make effort in seeking the truth by cross checking all stories before publication in a bid to maintain the credibility of the media.

She underscored the need for Sierra Leoneans to do everything humanely possible to conduct the forthcoming Local Government Elections as was done in last year’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections to maintain the true democratic standards.

The US Ambassador concluded by encouraging all media practitioners to concentrate on the quality and credibility of what is printed out for public consumption.