Journalists’ Code Of Conduct Roots For Higher Standards

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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The 14-page document based on codes from the Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania and the Newspapers and magazine Publishing in the United Kingdom, Editors’ code of practice calls for highest professional standards.

According to Alfred Taban, the Chief Editor of Juba Monitor and the main facilitator, the one day workshop aimed at bringing journalists and media practitioners together to give their views on the Code of Conduct.

“All members of the press, journalists, editors and magazine publishers have a duty to maintain the highest professional standards,” Taban read from the code to the journalists.

“The code sets the benchmark for those ethical standards, protecting both the rights of the individual and the public’s right to know. It is a cornerstone of the system of self-regulation to which the industry has a binding commitment.”

The code provides guidelines on tricky journalistic circumstances such as privacy, correction and opportunity to reply, discrimination, protection of vulnerable people, children, victims of sexual assault, reporting crime, sensationalism, incitement, hate language and covering of ethnic disputes.

Bribes, plagiarism and attribution, use of recording devices and subterfuge, and use and protection of confidential sources are also crucial provisions. It also defines human interest and emphasizes adherence to the fundamental journalistic principle of truthfulness, accuracy and fairness.

The provisions on protection of confidential sources drew a sharp debate on who can be protected and why. The journalists however later agreed that such sources with evidence should always be protected no matter what.

The workshop that drew journalists from Bakhita, Eye, Miraya, Citizen, Gurtong, Al Masir, South Sudan Post, the Sun and representatives from Norwegian People’s Aid, (NPA) the Human Rights Commission, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Article 19 was organised by the Association of Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS).

AMDISS’ representative Michael Duku said the code would be referred to lawyers for final legal and language amendments.