Why Our Ministers Should Respect Their Privileged Position "Yes, we are all aware of the shortcomings of our profession, just like all other professions in South Sudan are suffering as a result of the 30 years of war;"11 April 2011 By Jacob J Akol*
Dr Marial Benjamin, Minister of Information and Broadcasting and his staff, should be commended for the regular weekly forum in which ministers brief the press at his ministry. A large number of ministers have been doing this professionally and effectively. Congratulations to these ministers. This is how it should be and indeed the forum should continue. However, of late, certain ministers have started using the forum to abuse, threaten and intimidate journalists with persecution with out-dated and repressive media laws; while at the same time sitting on or attempting to doctor the current draft media laws based on the CPA Interim Constitution before they reach the Assembly. Hopefully the recent review of that excellent constitution, dominated by the ruling party, has not devalued its democratic and human rights articles, including freedom of expression, which cannot be fully exercised without freedom of the press within well-defined media laws. Yes, we are all aware of the shortcomings of our profession, just like all other professions in South Sudan are suffering as a result of the 30 years of war; but we indeed expect to be criticised through appropriate forums, such as responding to alleged misreporting in writing or verbally on the radio –if that is the prefered forum - generally with intention to correct any mistake or even ask for an apology from the offending editor. The attempt to use this noble forum by some of our ministers to score points in their privileged position can only lead to either one of the following or both: The forum may become a shouting match between journalists and ministers or it may end up in certain ministers’ briefings being boycotted by independent journalists, thus ending up with only journalists from government’s owned media. That would be regrettable indeed for our young nation to be. The normal practice is for the minister to come prepared, brief the press, answer the questions with due respect to journalists, no matter how poorly dressed in comparison, and leave. Protracted chatting could lead to misunderstandings and arouse tempers; so the hosting minister – in this case the Minister of Information and Broadcasting – should know when to diplomatically end such briefings, questions and answers. One should feel good to want to come back again for the quality of information thus given by our ministers. *Jacob J Akol is Chief Editor of Gurtong Trust and Chairman of Association for Media Development in South Sudan, AMDISS Posted in: Opinions -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
