Publishing a photo of President Salva Kiir wiping his face with a handkerchief is damaging to the image of South Sudan, says presidential spokesman Ateny Wek.
The spokesman called on media on Friday not to publish such photos of the nation’s leader. He referred to a photo that appeared accompanying a story on the Sudan Tribune website on 2 January.
The picture shows the president using a pink handkerchief. The spokesman considers the use of the image irresponsible: “The Sudan Tribune has published something that I would like to tell the media to avoid.”
“They published something that showed the president wiping his face with a handkerchief. This is not responsible, because I think if this is responsible media they could have deleted (it). Because there are intervals where the president or anybody can wipe his face with a handkerchief, but you cannot take such a photo and post it on the international (media). This is also destroying the image of South Sudan,” said the spokesman.
Ateny Wek also noted that such actions on the part of the media could be considered unethical and result in detention of journalists: “All the media are actually operating on ethics and they must also live up to the laws that are governing the country.”
“You have heard even in Egypt that Al Jazeera reporters were locked up because of a national security thing. (But) we have said this time that we will not want in our government to lock up any journalists,” said Ateny.
The spokesman added that he was concerned that journalists not be locked up so he had even himself intervened to have some journalists releasted from detention. “Because we don’t want journalists to be locked, so they have to see their responsibility.”