By Philip Buda Ladu
In a significant step towards safeguarding media professionals, South Sudan media fraternity launched a comprehensive Journalists Safety Guide Manual.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) in collaboration with Advance South Sudan, with support from UNESCO, was unveiled at the Yam Hotel in Juba on Thursday.
The guide aims to equip journalists with essential tools and strategies to navigate the challenging and often volatile media landscape in the country.
The launch, attended by the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) and other key media stakeholders, underscored the collaborative effort to enhance journalist safety.
Mawa Nemaya, Director of Advance South Sudan, emphasized the guide’s focus on building journalists’ capacity in both physical and online safety.
“One of the tasks of this project is to ensure that the capacity of the Journalists is enhanced on matters of safety both physical and online,” Nemaya stated, urging journalists to regularly review the manual.
“Always read the guide not only when there is trouble but you revise it so that you [Journalist] know what to do when trouble comes.” He advised the media practitioners in the country.
Daniel Majak Kuany Alier, Secretary General of UJOSS, reiterated the guide’s importance in protecting journalists.
“We as the Union of the Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) believe that this document is one way of enhancing protection for the Journalists,” Alier said.
He highlighted the manual’s role in providing strategies to mitigate risks within the country’s challenging media environment, encouraging journalists to use it as a “handy book” in the face of the volatile political landscape.
For his part, UNESCO’s Country Representative, Julius Banda, stressed the guide’s alignment with international standards and the Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists.
“This achievement of making the safety guide for journalists fulfils the priorities of the international community,” Banda stated.
He also emphasized the importance of inclusivity, ensuring the guide’s reach across all 10 states and the 3 Administrative Areas of South Sudan.
“UNESCO believes in the importance of inclusivity in its work of leaving No one behind,” Banda added, further expressing UNESCO’s commitment to partnering with likeminded organizations, civil society, and media practitioners to promote the free flow of information.
The development of the Safety Guide for Journalists, a comprehensive risk management tool designed to address all functional areas of media operations in South Sudan, began in 2022.
This launch marks a critical milestone in ongoing efforts to protect journalists and uphold press freedom in the region.