AMDISS Concludes Consultations On Media Bills The Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) on Tuesday ended the open public consultations on the three media bills yet to be ratified. 07 November 2012
Stakeholders during the Solidarity Conference held in Home and Away Hotel, Juba. [Waakhe Simon Wudu] By Waakhe Simon Wudu JUBA – 7 November 2012 [Gurtong] - These bills are the Media Authority Bill, The Right of Access to Information and the Public Broadcasting Bill. The Information Committee of the South Sudan National Assembly, (SSNA) last week held a three day public hearing on the bills. The hearing drew different stakeholders for the function. AMDISS consulted through meetings and a solidarity conference that brought senior government officials, foreign diplomats, activists and media experts to contribute to ensuring good media laws as the bills are soon to be tabled for a second reading in the parliament. AMDISS’ Director Jacob Akol said the conference was aimed at highlighting some critical issues that emerged during the three day public hearing last week in Juba. He cited out misunderstanding on media in diversity and use of cartoon as media tools of passing information in the media fraternity as some concerns of the media fraternity. Akol stressed the need to promote media in diversity and recognize the use of cartoons as tools used to pass information to the public. Diplomats and experts during the conference had called for the parliament to pass the media bills that will promote good governance with values of ensuring proper accountability and transparency. “We look for a media that promotes accountability and transparency,” Jeff Goebel, Team Leader for Democracy and Governance of the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) said during the conference. “We still encourage that this media laws is under public review”. Hon. Yoanes Bonju, Member of the SSNA Information Committee reiterated the parliament’s determination to pass the bills. However, activists still remain concerned if the bills will be passed with the public’s amendment. Posted in: Home, Governance, Media News -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
