Journalists Trained on Ethical, Gender-Responsive Election Reporting

By Simon Deng

The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) has launched a two-day training in Juba to strengthen journalists’ skills in professional, ethical, and gender-responsive election reporting ahead of the country’s scheduled 2026 elections.

This training brings together journalists from various media houses across the states and the capital, Juba, to enhance their ability to report election-related issues accurately and responsibly. This initiative comes amid concerns that political competition and heightened public emotions could pose challenges for the media.

Gabriel Mawien, the Media Authority’s Director for Media, emphasized the critical importance of this training as the country prepares for the 2026 elections.

“The country is going to conduct its first national election. I urge journalists to take this training seriously. Elections are not only political; sometimes, people become emotional. As journalists, you have to be very careful in your reporting,” said Mawien.

He added, “This training has come at the right time. As we approach two elections, we are hoping to see how the election is conducted. Let us focus on the national election.”

Mawien also called on journalists and media houses to obtain accreditation cards from the Media Authority to carry out their duties during the election period.

“We encourage all participating journalists to actively engage in this two-day training to strengthen their capacity for meaningful and responsible election reporting.”

The workshop, held under the theme “Strengthening Access to Information, Gender-Responsive Reporting, and Reporting on Elections,” gathers journalists from various states and the three administrative areas of South Sudan.

Oyet Patrick Charles, the President of the Union of Journalists (UJOSS), extended his appreciation to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for its continued support, including the provision of equipment to the Union and South Sudanese journalists.

Oyet urged journalists to perform their work professionally and adhere to journalistic ethics while reporting on the upcoming elections scheduled for December.

“Training is very important as we approach the election. When a country goes to an election, we cover it for the country. We should be responsible enough; we should do our job in a responsive manner so that we provide accurate information to the population,” Charles said.

He continued, “We should ensure that the rule of law is upheld, that constitutionalism is upheld, that everybody is equal before the law, and that no one is above the law. We should prepare for the election.”

Maruo Sham,the representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the media sector in South Sudan through capacity building and the provision of broadcasting equipment.

“I hope this two-day workshop provides journalists with the skills for credible and balanced news reporting. JICA will continue to give more support to journalists,” Sham said.

Chuol Jany, the Chairperson of the National Editors Forum, urged journalists to uphold professionalism, truth, balance, and fact-based reporting throughout the election period.

Jany also encouraged journalists to report on the elections transparently and cautioned them against allowing politicians to influence or control their work in the field.

The training is expected to strengthen journalists’ understanding of professional and ethical election reporting and promote credible, balanced, and factual coverage during the electoral process.