Juba February 3rd 2015, South Sudan National Security Service (NSS) has seized the distribution and shut down the Nation Mirror Newspaper after it misreported a story. Nation Mirror leadership acknowledged and recognized the mistake it did in publishing an article on security matters incorrectly.
The Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Mr. Edmund Yaknai describes the situation as unfortunate and urges the security service to allow Nation Mirror Media to carry its daily publications.
“It is mandatory that Media houses and journalists have to be professional in their work. Mistakes are human and if it is beyond then the application of the existing laws of South Sudan is the legal approach for punishing any offender of crime.
CEPO urges the leadership of the security service to accept the apology of Nation Mirror and allow the newspaper to run its daily publication to bridge the information gap between the citizens and their public institution and if the magnitude of the offence is beyond, the media house should be made to face the law.
South Sudan has signed media laws and application of the existing laws is an approach that needs to be taken up. Compromising with the application of the law allows arbitrary act that is not in line with legal provision ethics.
South Sudanese at the current moment are at the verge of getting information which is correct following the political developments that the country is undergoing.
CEPO in strong terms urges all media houses and journalists to have a sustained commitment to professional and report accurate and correct information.
