Ateny Wek Ateny, Minister of Information, Communications, Technology, and Postal Services addressing national media conference on December 16, 2025. Credit: Eye Radio/Awan Moses

The Minister of Information Ateny Wek Ateny has said that cameras can have a more profound impact than guns, in a rather controversial comparison of the power of modern media over violence.

Ateny said a person killed by a gun dies with dignity, noting that a camera, on the other hand, can leave someone disgraced even while still alive.

“Nowadays guns don’t kill more than even a camera. A camera can kill more than even a gun,” he said, stressing the influence of media in shaping public perception.

He added that the impact of a gun is limited to physical death, while the effect of a camera can be lasting. “If you have a gun, you fire a gun against one person, one person dies and then he dies or she dies with a dignity,” Ateny said.

The minister further argued that media exposure can have a deeper and more lasting consequence on a person’s life than physical harm.

“But a camera will leave you disgraced. Somebody who is disgraced even if you are alive, you are not alive. You are a dead person,” he said.

Ateny called for responsible use of freedom of expression, warning that it must be guided by accountability. “So, the most important thing is to ensure that our freedom of expression is always accompanied by a word, responsibility. You have to be a responsible person,” he added.