S. Sudan civil society entity to honour journalists

December 31, 2014 (JUBA) – A South Sudanese civil society body is organising the country’s first-ever annual media award, which will be held on 30 January this year.

The event, Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), seeks to recognise the work of journalists and media houses during the hard and challenging times of 2014.

“At the event, CEPO will be giving awards to two selected journalists and appreciation awards to number of journalists and media houses,” CEPO’s executive director, Edmund Yakani said in a statement.

“The criteria for selection is absolutely based on CEPO’s independent format of performance evaluation of journalists and media works in the country,” he added.

A CEPO-funded initiative, the annual award will reportedly encourage journalists to effectively inform and educate society.

“Journalists and media houses play bigger role in bridging gaps between citizens and their public institutions by ensuring that the flow of information is taking place,” he stressed.

The award, under the theme “Bravo journalists and media houses”, will be held in the capital, Juba.

South Sudan, since its 2011 independence, operated without media laws until September last year. According to Reporters Without Borders, the world’s youngest nation nation slipped 12 places in the annual press freedom index leaving it 124th out of the 180 nations ranked in 2013.

(ST)