About SONNA
Make SONNA your Source of News
Somali national news agency SONNA is the most powerful source of local and international news of the country
Quick links (SONNA Functions)
Outputs: Freedom and Independence
- Protected journalists
- Expanded availability of information
- Advocacy campaign conducted
- Public education – outreach program completed
- Advertising standards bureau in place
- Advertising code of conduct in place
Key Result Areas
The five Key Result Areas (KRAs) have been derived from the strategic issues and objectives which in turn have emanated from a situational analysis and review of the preceding Strategic Plan, the Medium Term Plan (MTP) III under Vision 2030, the Big Four Agenda and at a global level the UN Agenda 2030 on SDGs.
Functions & Mandate of the Somali National News Agency (SONNA)
The functions of SONNA are outlined as follows:
- Promote and protect the freedom and independence of the media;
- Prescribe standards for journalists, media practitioners and media enterprises;
- Ensure the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the performance of their duties;
- Promote and enhance ethical and professional standards among-est journalists and media enterprises;
- Advise the government or the relevant regulatory authority on matters relating to professional, education and the training of journalists and other media practitioners;
- set standards, in consultation with the relevant training institutions, for professional education and training of journalists;
- Develop and regulate ethical and disciplinary standards for journalist’s, media practitioners and media enterprises;
- Accredit journalists and foreign journalists by certifying their competence, authority or credibility against official standards based on the quality and training of journalists in Somalia including maintaining preregister of journalists, media enterprises and such other related registers as it may deem fit and issuance of such documents evidencing accreditation with the SONNA as the SONNA shall determine;
- Conduct an annual review of the performance and the public opinion of the media, and publish the results in at least two daily newspapers of national circulation;
- Through the Cabinet Secretary, table before Parliament reports on its functions;
- Establish media standards and regulate and monitor compliance of media standards;
- Facilitate resolution of disputes between the government and the media, between the public and the media and intra media;
- Compile and maintain a register of accredited journalists, foreign journalists, media enterprises and such other related registers as it may consider necessary;
- Subject to any other written law, consider and approve applications for accreditation by educational institutions that seek to offer courses in journalism; and
- Perform such other functions as may be assigned to it under any other written law.
