Broadcasting media need professionalism in South Sudan
By Peter Gai Manyuon.
Since the establishment of the leading Broadcasting Television in South Sudan after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) up to date, the way news are being reported or broadcast are so confusing to the entire Citizen of the country or let me say to the Journalists in particular, I know some people who have not attained the class of Journalism will say that, the news of the SSTV are perfects and real, yeah they are real but the only problem is that, there is no systematic way of reporting and reading news in the country, that make me to write this article for the benefits of the Nation.
It took me some time like two years now since I came back from abroad where I studied for some good years and up to now am still getting confuse on the way news are being reported by the South Sudan Television (SSTV) and the Radio, we all know that there is no gambling in Journalism know matter what you think my dear compatriots, it is the knowledge that can make the work to be good and professional.
I know South Sudan as just emerged from the grass root, am aware of that but the truth is that, news Reporting and news reading during news hour are the two important tools that are so essential to the station and that is why you find that, when it comes to news hour people begin looking for the best channels that are managed by the Journalistic way of reporting and capturing news in the country.
I know there are some people who are qualified who are staffs in the Station of the South Sudan Television but they are not doing what is supposed to be done to the Television its self, SSTV is becoming the way of making adverts not the station of Broadcasting News ,and promoting accuracy in Reporting and news reading techniques.
Some tips that might help our young Journalists in this Country
Ever notice how TV news reporters speak with such confidence and eloquence? They are able to deliver a lot of information to a lot of people in a short amount of time. How do they do it? Below are steps you can take to practice and learn to speak like a television reporter.
Watch the news. Watch the news with intent and purpose. Really pay close attention to what the reporter is saying and doing. Then, notice what s/he is not saying but telling you with their tone, inflection and non-verbal gestures/body language. Some questions you can ask yourself as you critically analyze your subject: What is s/he saying?
How are they saying it? What does the reporter’s voice sound like? Where are their eyes?, Where are their hands?, How do they hold their head and shoulders? And many more.
Close your eyes and listen. Notice the reporter’s voice has inflection; it is not flat. The reporter sounds excited to report to you. The reporter tells you what is important, what is sad, what is exciting, and what you don’t want to miss, all with their voice. It’s not so much what they’re saying, but how they are saying it.
What is the technique of Reporting on the Television?
Learn how to write for TV: You of course learn some of this in school. Writing for TV is very different from writing a term paper. You need to learn how to write to the images your audience will see on TV. It’s called writing to video. Also, you should keep writing simple and stay away from legalese and clichés. You have only one shot to get the attention of folks at home.
Go to college: Most TV stations require that you have a college degree preferably in broadcast journalism so that, you get to be inform on how you should become a Media practitioner not just gambling like what is happening in South Sudan but here, this is not there, the real Journalists are not there but they are working with private Institutions due to the facts that, there is no legitimacy in this country or the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting itself.
Our Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is doing the needful as per talking to the Media is concern always in case there are technical issues especially the Minister is doing great job but there is very big problem with the administration of the SSTV and Radio because they don’t fulfill their mandate as one of the Media house that is supposed to do the needful
I know it is the weakness of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting not to employ professionals because that Institution need people with high level of intellects in the reporting, writing scripts and reading news on the Television because all people who are coming from other Countries for visitation always view our news , therefore it good work with professionals because I hope they might say those who are working in the Broadcasting Media in South Sudan need training and that is not all the people, there are specific people who need two to three years training so that they can joined the field of Journalism.
I always tone on the SSTV but the way news are being read and report lack Journalistic techniques ,some time you don’t see the report highlighting more on the story, it seem like they are just getting pictures and beginning drafting news about of it, which is too hypocritical in that sense.
What I know also is that, South Sudan need a television that can employ people based on expertise of the personnel’s and that will be the time; we shall begin enjoying the Broadcast news in the Republic of South Sudan or the Minister of Information and Broadcasting should come up with decree of retiring those who are not expertise in the South Sudan Television and bring in those will help the entire audiences in this Country because our evening news are not captivating, inspiring to the expectations of the viewers like me in particular.
Now days it is only Juba Monitor newspaper daily that, is reporting issues basing on the Journalistic principles and approaches in the Country but the like of the citizen is adopting the way SSTV/Radio are reporting news. That means there is need for serious transformation from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the Republic of South Sudan.
Conclusion, the field of Journalism is the professional that does not need lies because most of things are practical, that need high level of intelligence, gambling does not work here in this unique professional, if you don’t know how to write a script for the broadcast, it will affects you yourself even Print Media like writing for newspapers need intellect and systematic ways of writing matters a lot
The author is an independent journalist based in South Sudan, he can be reached at [email protected].