Lubango — Journalists must respect the laws and avoid excesses in the exercise of press freedom, defended, on Wednesday, in Lubango, lawyer and journalist João Valente Paulino.

The journalist advocated this fact when giving a lecture on "Press Freedom in Angola, Context and Challenges", an initiative by the Angolan Social Communication Regulatory Entity (ERCA), aimed at journalists from different media bodies from Huíla.

The speaker considered that the exercise of press freedom in Angola must comply with norms and standards that safeguard the interests of sources and the journalist himself, without going beyond the regulatory principles of professional ethics and deontology.

For the professional, violating the rules can weigh heavily on the professional, as well as tarnish the good name of the institution in which he works.

He pointed out that the journalist's role is to exercise it with rigor and impartiality and never do the opposite under the pretext of exercising the principle of freedom of the press and even of expression.

He found that some professionals do not know how to perform their role, others end up being sensationalists and abusing sources, which presupposes a public crime and is punishable under article no. 01, which regulates freedom of expression of thought and information.

The event brought together professionals from public and private bodies and social media mentors.

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