South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The Director of the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) Irena Aya, has called on journalists to take action against hate speech and misinformation in the country.
“Please involve yourself in countering hate speech. We need to create awareness about its dangers and the harm of disinformation,” Aya said during the opening of a two-day media training workshop on Tuesday.
She emphasized the growing threat of hate speech in South Sudan and urged journalists to distinguish themselves from untrained citizen reporters.
“Hate speech is a significant issue now in South Sudan,” Aya stated in her opening remarks. “This training aims to help us differentiate between professional journalists and citizen journalists. That is why this training is very important.”
The workshop, which brought together thirty media practitioners, focuses on conflict-sensitive reporting, peace journalism, combating misinformation, and verifying information in the digital age.
Aya praised the participants, noting they were carefully selected based on their active involvement in the media sector.
“We did not want to bring in people who are not active in the field,” she explained. “We believe this training will not be wasted. It will make a real impact on your work and the broader media landscape in South Sudan.”
Emphasizing the importance of upholding the integrity of the profession, she added, “The media field is our field. Some of us are aging and retiring, but you, the younger generation, must carry the torch. Work diligently and professionally to inspire the next generation.”
Meanwhile, Training facilitator Peter Mapuor stated that the role of journalists is to find ways to reduce hate speech in order to mitigate conflict.
“The role of journalists is to report accurate information that will not incite further tension in the country,” Mapuor said.
