Journalists asked to refrain from inciting hate speech

By Simon Deng

Several media practitioners have been urged to refrain from inciting hate speech in a bid to build responsible and accountable media that serves the public interest.

Elijah Alier Kuai, the Managing Director of the South Sudan Media Authority made these remarks during the general assembly meeting organized on Wednesday by the Union of Journalists in South Sudan (UJOSS).

 “Unity among journalists is essential. Together, we can build a vibrant media landscape that stands resilient against hate speech and incitement to violence. We must commit to respecting individual privacy and avoid character assassination, ensuring that our media platforms are free from misinformation and disinformation,” said Kuai at the meeting held at the National Communication Authority headquarters in Juba.

Zhao Yang, the Secretary for Political Section at the Chinese Embassy said the Chinese government encourages South Sudanese to take advantage of the peace dividends, adding that media reporting must not be inflammatory.

“With the development of South Sudanese media industry, I believe UJOSS and  journalists will definitely do a better job in the future, journalists should ensure their professionalism, accuracy of information you need to reflect the facts truthfully and double check with relevant parties if you are uncertain about the source of information,” said Zhao.

Julius Banda, Country Representative for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said professional media is an essential tool for fostering unity among the people of South Sudan.

Oyet Patrick Charles, the President of UJOSS said his leadership is working to develop a vibrant media landscape that will embrace professionalism and foster unity across the country.

“We want a union where the former executive still works together with the new executive, and we want a UJOSS that is building on what the former leaders have done,” said Charles.