1. Our Commitment to Transparency
At the South Sudan Herald News Network, we believe in clear, open communication with our readers. As part of our commitment to responsible journalism, we disclose that we use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in certain parts of our editorial and publishing process.
Our use of AI follows strict editorial guidelines, human oversight, and ethical standards, ensuring that technology enhances — but never replaces — our journalism.
2. How We Use AI
We use AI to assist, not to replace human journalists. Examples of AI-supported work include:
- Research Assistance – Summarizing reports, extracting key facts, and identifying data trends for stories about South Sudan, Africa, and global events.
- Language Support – Translating articles between English, Arabic, and local languages to reach wider audiences across Juba and all South Sudan states.
- Content Organization – Categorizing and tagging news articles for easier navigation on our website.
- Headline Suggestions – Generating alternative headlines to improve readability and search engine visibility.
- Basic Image Editing – Optimizing photographs for web use while maintaining accuracy and authenticity.
- Accessibility Enhancements – Assisting in generating alt text descriptions for images to comply with accessibility standards.
4. Review and Accuracy
Every AI-assisted article and AI-generated image is checked and verified by our editorial team before publication. However, despite our best efforts, errors or inaccuracies may still occur due to the limitations of AI tools or human oversight. When mistakes are identified, we issue corrections promptly in line with our editorial policy.
3. Ethical Principles for AI Use
We apply the following principles to all AI-assisted work:
- Accuracy First – All AI outputs are fact-checked and verified by our journalists.
- Human Oversight – AI tools are used to assist, never to make final editorial decisions.
- No Misrepresentation – We do not use AI to fabricate events, quotes, or people.
- Privacy Protection – AI tools are used in compliance with our Privacy Policy.
- Bias Awareness – Editors review AI outputs for bias, ensuring fair and balanced reporting.
5. Why We Use AI
- To improve efficiency in newsroom operations.
- To make our content more accessible to readers in South Sudan and the diaspora.
- To help our small editorial team cover more stories without compromising quality.
- To strengthen research and fact-checking capabilities.
6. Our Ongoing Commitment
We will continue to evaluate our AI tools, adopting best practices from global journalism standards and maintaining transparency with our audience. If our AI use changes significantly, we will update this statement and inform readers.