Journalists Urges to Uphold Professionalism in Court Coverage
By Kidega Livingstone
Journalists in South Sudan have been urged to uphold professionalism and adhere to journalistic ethics when covering high-profile court trials, following government concerns that some media practitioners are interfering with court proceedings.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting under the theme “The Role of Journalists in Promoting Justice”—organized by the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) with support from the Norwegian People’s Aid—the Director General of the Media Authority, Sapana Abuyi, said that journalists must respect court protocols and avoid disrupting proceedings.
“Some journalists who entered the courtroom during the first hearing were neither professional nor accredited,” Abuyi noted. “These are high-profile cases, and every word said in court is important. Misreporting or altering information can affect the proceedings.”
He added that incidents of security officers interfering with journalists’ work have also increased, partly due to the declining level of professionalism in the media sector.
“Our professionalism is dropping. We must restore our standards to inform the public accurately and responsibly,” he said.
Meanwhile, UJOSS Chairperson Patrick Oyet Charles said the Union is working closely with the Media Authority and other stakeholders to ensure a conducive environment for journalists to operate freely.
“This breakfast meeting is very important for us as journalists. It gives us an opportunity to share ideas and strengthen our commitment to ethical reporting,” Oyet said.
Representing the Norwegian People’s Aid, Maker Joyce emphasized the organization’s continued support for building the capacity of journalists in South Sudan.
“Journalists are the eyes and ears of the public. In the South Sudan context, their work is not easy—that’s why we are committed to empowering them and ensuring they work in a free and safe environment,” Joyce said.
