Officials and participants pose for photo after a two-day training - Photo credit: Irene Jackson

The Undersecretary in the Ministry of Information, Mawien Bulabek, has called on journalists to help fight misinformation and hate speech, saying the unchecked spread of false information is causing divisions in communities.

Bulabek made the remarks during the closing of a two-day training for journalists and content creators on conflict and gender-sensitive reporting.

The training was organized by Media Mentors’ Network and Journalists for Human Rights to promote responsible and ethical reporting on issues such as conflict and gender.

Bulabek said the media should report on communal conflicts with the aim of helping to resolve them. He expressed concern that social media is being misused to mislead the public and fuel divisions.

“Election is coming and we have big responsibility. A lot of conflict is taking place among our communities and it is our responsibility to report it,” he stated.

He framed the numerous challenges facing the industry not as roadblocks, but as issues the media is obligated to help “change.”

“The ethic is not a simple thing. It is about you. It is about your professionalism,” he told the participants.

He went on to make a strong assertion: “When you don’t have ethic, it means that you don’t have the skills to qualify you to be a journalist.”

Bulabek said the Ministry of Information is committed to supporting a conducive media environment in the country.

“It is our policy to have national, regional, and international journalists on South Sudan. So, I’m sure through the two days, you managed to get the skills. And as you are aware, media have a very big responsibility in the level of the country,” he said.

The training aimed to equip journalists with the skills to report on conflict and gender issues with fairness, accuracy, and sensitivity.