Yei Journalists Urged To Be Balanced

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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Juma David Augustine said this while addressing the Journalists from various local and international media houses in Yei River County on the World Press Freedom Day.

The celebration was funded by the Norwegian People’s Aid under the theme: “Safe to speak, Securing Freedom of Expression in all Media.”

The commissioner said that since he took office, he has never received any report of a journalist being arrested, beaten, detained or imprisoned in Yei River County.

Juma urged the Union of Journalist of South Sudan Yei sub-committee together with the county education department, to establish Journalism Clubs in both secondary and primary schools to train the young pupils to learn on how to report on issues affecting the communities on the ground.

“In a society where no one speaks of information, that society is information deficiency,” said Juma.

He calls on the media practitioners and the media houses in Yei River County to collaborate cooperate and coordinate with the government agencies to pass right and accurate information to the citizens in the country.

The journalists and media houses are also being urged to report balanced stories by always involving the second and third parties in their stories to avoid misrepresenting government or individuals.

Juma urged the Journalists to be independent, responsible in their duties and stick to the ethics and code of conduct of journalism by not taking side with particular government officials but rather influence those governments who are allergic to media to come close to the media.

He further called on the media houses and journalists to use media as a medium of positive change and development in South Sudan, sighting the roles that the media have been playing to bring peace in Yei River County most especially after the arrests of the five chiefs, Chairman Kakwa Community and a former politician last month by the security agency.

Agele Benson the Chairman Union of Journalist of South Sudan Yei Sub-committee, thanked the county authority for having recognized the roles of the media in Yei River County, and calls on the county authority to stand behind the media in the county in promoting peace and unity among the people.

He urged the journalists to be focused, respect the laws of the country and stick to their professional ethics and code of conduct.

Agele calls on the government officials to avail information to the media whenever they are being approached.

He urged the journalists and media houses to have good approaches, report accurate and avoid defamation.

Agele said the Union of Journalists is committed to train more young reporters but only shorthanded by financial constrains to train more journalists and also to build the capacity of the existing journalists.