Can Journalism Rebuild Trust and Hold Power Accountable in Sierra Leone?

In Sierra Leone, the role of the journalist has never been more complex — or more necessary. The fight for truth is happening in an environment where access to information is limited, resources are shrinking, and public trust in the media is fading. In this episode of Honestly Speaking, journalist and host Antonia Howard sits down with her longtime colleague Lamrana Bah, one of Sierra Leone’s most respected investigative reporters, to reflect on the state of journalism today. Together, they explore the pressures of reporting truth in a polarized society, the economics of media survival, and what happens when truth itself becomes negotiable. Can journalism still hold power accountable — and can it help rebuild the public trust that keeps democracy alive? This episode is a real conversation between two journalists who’ve lived the struggle, still believe in the work, and are asking what it will take to make truth matter again.