National editors begin 2024 election preparations

The South Sudan National Editors’ Forum (NEF) said on Friday that it has adopted a resolution to hold monthly meetings in preparation for South Sudan general elections in December, 2024.

The national editors reached the agreement in their long overdue meeting held on Thursday at the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) office.

“The meeting was convened by National Editors’ Forum after years of not being able to come together to discuss pressing editorial issues in the country,” reads a statement in parts.

The monthly meeting will focus on editorial matters, safety guidelines, and code of conduct to be followed by media houses, editors, and reporters before, during, and after the elections to ensure free, fair and credible transition. The professional body also resolved to elect new leadership in November.

“…editors adopted some key resolutions , among them, [is] election of new office bearers in November 2023, and obligatory monthly meetings for editors in Juba to discuss current affairs, the constitution making process and elections,” tt states.

The editors also welcomed the lifting of the suspension of the UN’s Radio Miraya by the government and pledged to uphold “their commitment to truth underpinned by an ethical code of conduct as enshrined in the law”.

Immediately after handing over the registration certificate to Radio Miraya leadership on Thursday in Juba, the government spokesperson, Michael Makuei, assured the public and the UN that the government would maximumly use Radio Miraya to disseminate elections information.

The National Communication Authority (NCA) also said it would ensure that there is no more interference or intimidation against the radio or its journalists.

The NEF, which consists of media managers and editors, is a professional body formed by the Association of Media Development in South Sudan and registered by the Media Authority in 2014 to assist in building and enhancing the capacity of the media practitioners to foster high standards of journalism.