The African branch of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has issued a statement condemning the acts of some sports journalists covering the 2023 AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire.
The 2023 AFCON is at the quarter final stage with matches set to be played out this weekend and the tournament has been widely praised for the level of competition in games, quality of play and coaching and effective use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
However, the Association isn’t happy over the conducts of some sports journalists covering the 34th edition of the continental championship.
Videos of sports journalists dancing to their countries victories at the competition and videos of sports journalists verbally abusing players and coaches of national teams have surfaced on online platforms.
A section of the statement read, “Being a journalist means behaving properly, and above all, exercising restraint. Certain behaviours are simply unworthy of a profession as noble as journalism.”
The AIPS also stressed that sports journalists cannot acts as supporters saying, “Even if the journalist is not a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object), he cannot be considered a supporter. This is why AIPS Africa invites colleagues to be reasonable and to work in compliance with the rules of ethics and professional conduct.”
The Association went on to suggest further training for sports journalists covering sports events.