Mission Statement
Engage Salone is a collective of Sierra Leonean journalists, writers, storytellers and academics. Our mission is to create an online platform that fosters dialogue that is anchored in critical thinking, diversity of thoughts and alternative approaches to media coverage of people and events.
With a model that goes beyond traditional news reporting, we strive to delve deep into issues by unpacking the complexities that are hidden in national issues, as well as relevant regional and international topics. With this, we hope to ignite honest conversations that inform citizens, inspire action and ultimately contribute towards positive social, economic and political change.
Editorial Philosophy
Engage Salone’s editorial philosophy is guided by a model of journalism that puts people at the heart of our work and the content we make. We apply rigorous processes and maintain the highest ethical standards that enable us to go beyond the over-simplification of news and information without compromising quality. This allows us to make content relevant, engaging, accessible and impactful for our audiences.
We make our audiences active participants of our editorial and production processes; and provide a platform for viewpoints and perspectives that reflect the diversity of our audiences and our environment.
Principles
Independence
We are an independent outfit that pride ourselves in the autonomy and freedom of thought of our columnists and contributors. We strive to be a powerful vehicle for critical discourse and meaningful dialogue. Therefore, we are firm on our commitment to stay free of political, corporate or any other interests that have the potential to undermine our autonomy and independence
Honesty and Integrity
We want to become and remain a credible and authoritative platform in political, social, economic and cultural discourse in Sierra Leone and the sub-region. Therefore, we work to build and maintain trust with our audiences and partners. We are clear to our staff, columnists and contributors that honesty, openness of process and integrity are principles that cannot be compromised.
Diversity of Thoughts
We are fully aware of our environment and the diversity of our audiences. We therefore work hard to reflect this diversity by providing space for all shades of informed opinion that is well articulated, intellectually sound, and is backed by research and evidence. This way, we are demonstrating that it is only when we hear varied viewpoints and opinions that we are able to fully appreciate our diversity and its potential for social cohesion and development.
Creativity and Authenticity
Our collective and the content we create are new. We want our newness to reflect the contents that we produce through unusual, unconventional creative processes that lead to the production of material that are not only meaningful, but interesting and engaging. Creativity and authenticity are critical in helping us create a unique identity as a new player in the media and publishing realm. While we strive to be authentic, we cover existing discourses and challenge dominant narratives with fresh perspectives and creative thinking.
Public Interest/Common Good
We dig deep into issues to unearth what is buried underneath. Because we put people at the heart of our work, we use new technology and skills, and other measures to hold power to account by shedding light on issues of public interest. In addition to our high editorial standards, we use recent technology and skills to help audiences make sense of complex issues. We also work to highlight the implications and consequences that often underbelly seemingly simple matters.