30 journalists trained on election reporting in Juba

By Awan Achiek

The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday held a two-day training workshop on election reporting in a bid to prepare them ahead of the December elections.

The training attended by 30 journalists from Central Equatoria State aimed to equip reporters with skills and knowledge to cover elections professionally.

“We thank UNESCO for supporting UJOSS and other media institutions in South Sudan. This workshop will benefit the journalists from Central Equatoria State,” said Ayak Ajak Ater, Vice President of UJOSS said in a statement posted on the UJOSS Facebook page.

She disclosed that the training aims to promote democracy through the media.

George Lemi, Spokesperson for National Election Commission emphasized the need for equipping journalists with skills and knowledge to report accurately on the upcoming elections.

“Elections depend on the level of availability of information to the voters. The journalists should have freedom of expression and opinion and they should report fairly and accurately,” said Lemi.

Julius Banda, UNESCO Country Director in South Sudan, reaffirmed their readiness to continue with the close cooperation with UJOSS on training workshops for journalists in the country.

“UJOSS is an important organization, that is why UNESCO works hand –in- hand with UJOSS, sorting finances here and there to support its work,” said Banda.

He noted that free media will help keep the elections free and credible, adding that journalists are the catalyst for development.

Banda also implored journalists to report fairly and independently.