South Sudan media regulator lavishes praise on media growth

The Director General for Information and Media Compliance at the South Sudan Media Authority, Sapana Abuyi has revealed improvement in news reporting compared to the previous four years.

“We are learning and we are moving very fast, when you compare the newspaper in 2018 and the voice clip in 2017 with the present you find there is improvement. Media is going to be there, it is part and parcel of all systems,” Abuyi said during the event to raise awareness on role of journalists in South Sudan in Juba on Wednesday.

Contrary to public perception that the media authority gags free speech, Abuyi said they are instead promoting freedom of expression and free press.

 “There is no country or system that can do without media, media is important and being an important structure in the system it has to be developed,” he said.

James Dak Karlo, the Deputy Spokesperson for South Sudan National Police Services, said the force supports freedom of expression and is working to promote the safety of journalists.

“We need space where journalists are not tortured, harassed or arrested; police must cooperate with the press. We offer service and we ensure no crime is committed against journalists with impunity,” Karlo said.

Oyet Patrick, the President of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) encouraged journalists to pay attention and work to improve the quality of their work.

 “There is no media without responsibility; we want to see responsible journalism. As journalists you are expected to really work hard and verify information, check or fact check and ensure whatever we give to the public is information that is accurate,” Patrick said.