By Aruna Turay, Editor – AYV Newspaper
In recent times, I have observed what appears to be an increasing and sometimes excessive use of the word “allegedly” by bloggers and online content creators in Sierra Leone.
The trend became particularly noticeable following a recent training session in Freetown, where a good number of bloggers were summoned to participate in a programme organised by a civil society organisation.
Since that training, the word “allegedly” appears to have become a regular feature in many bloggers’ broadcasts, reports and social media publications.
In some instances, it is repeatedly emphasised, almost as though using the word automatically protects a blogger from Libel, Defamation or other legal consequences.
That is a dangerous misunderstanding. “Allegedly” Is Not a Legal Shield.
Simply using the word “allegedly” does not automatically protect a journalist or blogger from a defamation complaint or legal action.
The word can be useful because it signals to the audience that a particular statement is an allegation and not an established fact.
However, the word itself does not make an otherwise false, reckless, malicious or unsubstantiated statement legally safe. The real issue is not whether the word “allegedly” appears in a report.
The real questions are: Who made the allegation? What evidence supports it? Has the information been verified? Was the person concerned given an opportunity to respond? And has the allegation been presented fairly and accurately?
These are the principles that should guide responsible journalism.
Attribution Matters. Rather than simply saying: “The businessman allegedly diverted Le500 million.” A journalist or blogger should, where possible, identify the source of the allegation.
For example: “Police allege that the businessman diverted Le500 million from the project.”
Or:
“According to court documents, prosecutors allege that the businessman diverted Le500 million from the project.”
There is an important difference. In the first examples, the journalist is making it clear that someone else is making the allegation. The journalist is not presenting the allegation as an established fact.
That is why proper attribution is much more important than simply inserting the word “allegedly” into a sentence.
What Does “Allegedly” Actually Mean? In simple terms, “allegedly” means that something is claimed to have happened but has not yet been established as fact.
For example: “The businessman allegedly diverted Le500 million from the project.” The word tells the audience that the claim remains an allegation.
But there is a major problem if the journalist/blogger cannot explain where the allegation came from or what evidence supports it.
Simply adding “allegedly” to an unsupported accusation does not suddenly make the accusation credible.
A journalist/blogger cannot safely publish an unverified allegation and assume that adding “allegedly” at the beginning or end of the sentence has solved the problem.
The Independent Media Commission (IMC) has previously dealt with complaints involving publications containing allegations that were presented as news.
In one case, a newspaper used the word “allegedly” while reporting that money was finding its way into people’s pockets. The Commission found the allegation to be unsubstantiated and considered the publication damaging to the complainant’s reputation.
The newspaper was subsequently ordered to publish a retraction and was fined.
The lesson for bloggers and journalists is clear: The word “allegedly” does not replace verification.
“According to Police” Is Not the Same as “He Did It”
One of the most useful practices when reporting criminal allegations is to clearly identify the source.
For example: “According to police, Mohamed Kamara was arrested after investigators linked him to an alleged fraud.”
This tells the audience that the information comes from the police. But journalists/bloggers must still be careful.
Suppose the police say: “We suspect Mohamed Kamara was involved in the fraud.” A journalist/blogger should not transform that statement into: “Mohamed Kamara committed fraud.”
The second statement presents the allegation as an established fact.
There is a significant difference between being suspected of an offence, being accused of an offence, being charged with an offence and being convicted of an offence.
A responsible journalist/blogger must preserve those distinctions.
The Presumption of Innocence. This is particularly important when reporting criminal cases.
A person who has been arrested or charged with a criminal offence should not automatically be portrayed as guilty.
As my mentor, trainer and godmother in journalism, Dr Sylvia Olayinka Blyden OOR, taught me, “Always give the other side an opportunity to respond,” one of the most important principles of responsible journalism is the opportunity for the subject of a serious allegation to respond.
If a blogger or journalist is publishing an allegation that could seriously damage someone’s reputation, reasonable efforts should be made to contact that person or their representative for a response.
If the person responds, include the response fairly.
If the person does not respond after reasonable attempts have been made, the report can say so.
For example: “XX Blog contacted the businessman for comment, but he had not responded by the time of publication.”
That is much stronger blogging than simply publishing one side of a serious accusation.
Before publishing a serious allegation, journalists and bloggers should ask themselves a few basic questions: Who is making the allegation? What evidence supports it? Can the information be independently verified? What does the person accused say? Is there a police statement, court document or other credible source supporting the claim? Am I reporting an allegation as an allegation, or have I accidentally presented it as fact?
These questions should become part of every newsroom and blogging routine.
Sierra Leone’s digital media space is growing rapidly. Bloggers and online journalists now play an important role in informing the public, shaping national conversations and holding institutions and individuals accountable.
As my current boss, Umaru Fofana, has always reminded me, “Being first is important, but being accurate is more important”; getting thousands of views is not a substitute for verification. Using the word “allegedly” repeatedly is not a substitute for responsible blogging.
There is nothing wrong with using the word “allegedly” when it is appropriate. But “allegedly” is not a magic word, and it is certainly not a legal shield.
