Yeama Thompson Moves to Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Senior Technical Adviser

Veteran journalist and media development specialist Yeama Sarah Thompson has been appointed Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, bringing to the Ministry more than two decades of experience spanning journalism, media development, access to information and public communication.

Thompson moves to the Ministry after serving as Managing Director of the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA), where she became the first woman to lead the national news agency.

Her appointment marks another significant step in a career that has taken her across journalism, media development and public institutions.

Before taking over at SLENA, Thompson served as a Commissioner at the Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC), where she was involved in efforts to promote access to public information, transparency and proactive disclosure.

She also founded and serves as Executive Director of the Initiatives for Media Development (IMdev), an organisation working in media development, public communication and access to information.

Her professional career also includes service as the Sierra Leone country director of Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), where she worked on strengthening human-rights reporting and the capacity of journalists in Sierra Leone.

Thompson has also been active in efforts to combat misinformation. She is the founder and publisher of Salone Fact Checker, one of Sierra Leone’s early home-grown fact-checking platform established to verify information and counter misinformation. Her work in this area has added another dimension to her long-standing involvement in strengthening media credibility and public access to reliable information.

Thompson remains active within the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and currently serves as chair of its Internal Audit Committee.

At SLENA, Thompson oversaw a period of institutional and digital development. Under her leadership, the agency expanded its workforce, strengthened international partnerships, modernised its digital presence and developed a new strategic direction for the organisation. SLENA has also established cooperation with a number of African and international news agencies.

Her move to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation now takes her experience in information, communication and institutional leadership into the country's foreign-service architecture.

The new role is expected to involve technical support to the Minister and work around policy, coordination and other areas of the Ministry's mandate.

Thompson’s career has largely been built around the intersection of media, information, governance and public service. Her latest appointment therefore adds a new dimension to that trajectory, taking her from leading a national news institution to contributing to the country's work in international affairs.

Her appointment also adds another woman with extensive institutional and professional experience to a senior role in public service.

Ticha Lemp Lemp Media congratulates Yeama Sarah Thompson on her appointment and wishes her success in her new assignment.