Speaker’s Office Withdraws Official Portrait Order Following Media Alarms

By Otto Abut

The Office of the Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) has withdrawn its recent directive requiring media houses to use only the official portrait of Speaker Rt. Hon. Joseph Ngere Paciko, following concerns raised by media stakeholders over editorial independence and press freedom.

The decision came after the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) appealed on Thursday for the directive to be revoked, arguing that it trespassed on media freedom and interfered with the independent editorial policies of media organizations in South Sudan.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Speaker’s Office said it had reviewed the matter and decided to withdraw the directive after engaging with concerns raised by journalists and media organizations.

“The Office of the Speaker remains open to dialogue with the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS), the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS), and individual media houses,” the statement said.

The Parliament’s Press Office explained that the directive had been introduced in response to the repeated use of poor-quality, low-resolution, or distorted images of the Speaker in news reports, social media posts, and official publications.

Despite withdrawing the directive, the Office reaffirmed its commitment to working constructively with the media while respecting editorial independence and promoting an environment that supports press freedom and informed public discourse.

AMDISS welcomed the decision, describing it as a positive step toward safeguarding press freedom and upholding editorial independence.

“We are committed to fostering open dialogue to promote effective collaboration that enhances democracy and transparency,” AMDISS said in a statement.

The media advocacy organization also called for specialized training programs to strengthen the capacity of government press secretaries, enabling them to perform their duties more effectively while respecting media independence and professional standards.

Thursday’s meeting was attended by TNLA spokesperson Oliver Mori Benjamin, the Speaker’s Press Officer Andrew Kenyi, and Hon. Santino Maker Riak, a member of Parliament who also serves on the Specialized Committee on ICT and Postal Services.