Sudanese put an end to censorship

21 Apr 2008

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has welcomed an agreement by Sudanese authorities to end censorship after journalist union leaders brought together a group of newspaper editors in a concerted effort to strengthen ethical journalism and media independence in the country.

The SJU held a meeting on Wednesday, 16 April, with 27 newspaper editors and officers from the security services responsible for media and agreed to end all censorship and stop the practice of sending newspaper stories to the censor before publication.

The newspapers also agreed to adhere to the media code of conduct and to hold further discussions on how to protect press freedom and promote responsible journalism.

SJU President Mohialden Titawi said the union is committed to defending press freedom and that the legal process is the best method for solving publishing disputes. It also called on media to make responsible editorial decisions.

"We applaud the work of the Sudanese Journalists' Union (SJU), which has been instrumental in ending censorship," said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. "We also welcome the decision to raise awareness on the need for respect of the media code of conduct and commitment to ethical journalism."

The IFJ has an Ethical Journalism Initiative aimed at promoting ethical journalism and self-regulation in the media industry. The IFJ and its affiliates in the Middle East and North Africa, including Sudan, will discuss at a regional meeting in Casablanca next month a programme of action for the region based on this initiative.

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide.

Article published courtesy of IFJ