The role of media in the South Sudanese conflict
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By Alyssa Mesich
April 2, 2014- If good information is not available then rumors will
spread. The weak media culture in South Sudan continues to fuel the
ongoing conflict because of limited legal protection for public
broadcasting, media regulation and freedom of information.
Additionally journalists face safety concerns, restrictions on what
issues they can report, and limited funding and training.
Accurate news coverage has been difficult to obtain, allowing warring
parties, responsible for countrywide atrocities, to escape
accountability for their crimes. The media sector in South Sudan needs
to be strengthened to promote accountability and transparency of all
parties involved in the conflict. This can be done if pressure is put
on President Salva Kiir to sign the package of media legislation and
if there is a national effort between the government, bilateral
organizations, national media groups and journalists to promote
countrywide news reporting. Increasing the availability of reliable
information will decrease the spread of rumors, improving cross tribal
communications and peace building.
Since independence the government has cracked down on the media
through the harassment of journalists and the use of fear to limit the
spread of information, according to journalists who wish to remain
nameless. Just this month, according to the Committee to Project
Journalists, the Minister of Information Michael Makuei tried again to
limit news coverage by warning reporters not to interview opposition
groups or else risk arrest or expulsion from South Sudan. The legal
uncertainties in South Sudan make journalists more susceptible to
threats and abuse by the authorities. The signing of the media
legislation package by President Salva Kiir will establish a legal
framework that protects journalists and media outlets. Implementation
of the media laws will be another issue, but passing the media
legislation is the first priority.
South Sudan will be celebrating its 4th Independence Day this July. As
the world's youngest country it is difficult to build up a media
sector on par with the rest of the world- the U.S. has had over 200
years to build its media network. Additionally, South Sudan has
experienced some setbacks, such as the closing of the journalism
program at the University of Juba. But national and international
development groups have met setbacks with coordinated efforts. The
Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) and
Association for Media Women in South Sudan (AMWISS) are offering
trainings focused on long-term capacity building for journalists.
These national organizations having been partnering with bilateral
organizations, such as the Norwegian People's Aid, to increase the
number of journalists trained and to improve the media sector through
coordinated efforts focused on skill building.
There have also been coordinated efforts in the media field by UNESCO,
Fondation Hirondelle, BBC Media Action, Internews, AMDISS and AMWISS
to work together for regulatory changes and advancing the field of
journalism. The Ministry of Information has been involved in some of
the capacity building efforts, including a Media Sector Working Group,
and their participation is important to ensure the safety of
journalists and having a dialogue on pressing national media issues.
The ongoing conflict has disrupted the growth of South Sudan since
independence. South Sudan is facing development issues along with the
struggles of being a young nation. Only 37% of the population is
literate, based on responses to a 2013 South Sudan National Audience
Survey by Internews. How can literacy and education improve for the
next generation if, according to the UN, over 1 million people have
been displaced? Is the literacy rate going to take a similar path to
GDP, which according to the World Bank has had a negative 47.6% growth
rate in 2012? The conflict has had devastating effects on the South
Sudanese today, but it will continue to be felt for generations to
come if something is not done.
Peace talks in Addis Abba continue to be delayed and there is no
promise that they will lead to reconciliation. Although it will be
difficult to do, it is in the government's best interest to promote a
healthy media field because it will improve the development of the
nation and will be a major factor in ending the conflict. Media is a
tool that South Sudan can use now to facilitate peacekeeping. If the
government works with bilateral organizations and national
organizations it can pass the media legislation package, increase the
safety of journalists and a focus on promoting accurate news coverage.
The writer is a holder of a Masters of Public Administration in
Development Practice Candidate 2014, School of International and
Public Affairs, Columbia University
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