The Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) urge journalists to proactively raise public awareness and report accurate information about the upcoming general elections.
In December 2024, South Sudan is due to hold general elections, the culmination of a 2018 peace deal.
Ayaa Irene, the principal of AMDISS, a grouping of South Sudanese journalists, emphasized the vital role journalists play in providing civic education on the electoral process during the conclusion of a four-day journalism training held in the capital city of Juba on Friday.
“Now I urge you to apply the skills you have acquired during this training. Journalism is about fearlessly writing, speaking, and capturing powerful photographs while ensuring utmost accuracy,” Irene stated.
She further encouraged South Sudanese journalists to crosscheck information to prevent misquotation and the dissemination of false stories.
James Boboya, the Senior Technical Advisor at USAID, emphasized the significance of journalists focusing on key aspects such as voters’ rights, voter registration, and access to registration centres.
“I urge journalists to examine these areas closely, including voters’ access to registration centres. It is crucial to know if voters are turning out and to understand the voter turnout in previous elections, particularly before South Sudan gained independence,” Boboya explained.
He emphasized the need to gather data and commence early story development.
Margret Gaitano, a representative for journalists, called on AMDISS and USAID to extend similar training opportunities to journalists at the state levels who were unable to attend the training in person.
“This training on elections is the first of its kind, and I hope it won’t be limited to just us. Let it continue for our colleagues in different areas,” Gaitano expressed.
She also acknowledged AMDISS for its ongoing support of media houses and journalists, emphasizing the need for similar training to be conducted in other states.
The four-day training, which focused on South Sudan’s general elections, countering misinformation, fact-checking, and gender reporting, brought together 20 journalists, including freelancers, media house reporters, and editors from Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Lakes, Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria states, and the Abyei area.
Last year, USAID signed a three-year $12 million agreement to continue the US government’s support for independent media in South Sudan and the disputed Abyei Area on the South Sudan-Sudan border, as an essential element of democracy.