Journalists need to be socially and politically aware and read and research a great deal in order to be good reporters.
Voice of America Managing Editor and Straight Talk Host, Shaka Ssali, told reporters on Tuesday in Juba that that many journalists lack social and political awareness.He said journalists need to have a sense of historical, cultural and social backgrounds of what they are writing about.
The Ugandan senior journalist advised his comrades to be culturally and politically sensitive in the stories they write.
Dr Ssali said African journalists should be the ones telling the African story from the African perspective.
He said journalists need to build confidence by reading and researching extensively before writing their stories.
Government spokesperson Barnaba Marial Benjamin blamed South Sudanese journalists for quoting international agencies instead of giving first hand information.
He added that local journalists needed to tackle African issues so that international news agencies quoted South Sudanese media houses.
The two speakers were intervening during the two-day discussion “How the world views Africa: the role of African journalists in forming the narrative” that concluded today.