IMC Rules SLBC Unlawfully Terminated Journalist Umu Thoronka

The Independent Media Commission has ruled that the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation unlawfully terminated journalist Umu Thoronka, a decision media advocates say represents an important step toward fairness and accountability in the country’s media sector.

Following three hearings that began in November 2024, the commission concluded that SLBC “failed to exercise due diligence in handling the termination process.” The IMC subsequently ordered the broadcaster to compensate Thoronka, according to a report by Truth Media.

The media advocacy group Women in the Media Sierra Leone has called on SLBC to comply promptly with the ruling.

Thoronka was dismissed in July 2024 after posting a TikTok video showing a woman being publicly humiliated during a presidential town hall meeting. SLBC maintained that Thoronka was not officially on its staff and alleged that she had violated internal policy.

Her dismissal reportedly triggered harassment, including online abuse, visits to her home by unidentified individuals and death threats, which she said eventually forced her into exile.

Reacting to the ruling, WIMSAL President Eastina Taylor said the decision reinforces the need for fairness and respect for women journalists in the workplace.

“This ruling affirms that women journalists deserve fairness, dignity and respect in the workplace,” Taylor said, urging SLBC to comply with the commission’s directive and demonstrate accountability within the sector.

Thoronka’s lawyer, Paul Kamara, described the decision as a restoration of his client’s dignity and confirmed that the matter will also proceed before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.

The case has also drawn attention to broader concerns about workplace conditions in Sierra Leone’s media industry.

According to advocates supporting Thoronka, she worked with SLBC for more than a decade, anchoring major programmes and heading the station’s entertainment unit, but was allegedly denied a full contract after rejecting sexual advances from superiors.

Her legal team further argued that her dismissal, which they say was communicated over the phone, reflected a hostile work environment.

“This situation illustrates the ongoing problem of sexual harassment in the media industry, both in Sierra Leone and globally,” said Ikechukwu Uzoma, a co-counsel in the case.

The case filed before the ECOWAS Court by the Kennedy Human Rights Center and WIMSAL alleges that Thoronka’s rights to dignity, freedom of expression and fair working conditions were violated.

Advocates say that while the IMC ruling represents a significant victory, further steps are needed to address sexual harassment and strengthen protections for journalists in Sierra Leone’s media sector.