Jonglei government orders local radios to seek permission before broadcasting

BOR, NOV. 8, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The government of South Sudan’s Jonglei State has ordered local radio stations to obtain permission from the state ministry of information and communication before broadcasting any public announcements or talk shows.

The directive, which was issued on November 4, states that all local radio stations must seek approval from the ministry before airing public service announcements (PSAs) or talk shows.

The ministry has also stated that it will provide guidelines to radio stations on how to diversify their programming and ensure that all three dominant languages of Dinka, Nuer, and Anuak are represented.

Speaking to Sudans Post on Wednesday, the Director-General of the state ministry of information Muhamad Chuol Peter defended the government decision which he said was taken after his ministry met with radio station managers.

“Any public announcement should be approved by the ministry in conjunction with the municipality. So, approval only applies to public announcements, but the radio talk show only requires guidance. As I said, we are going to assign one of our staff to help them perform well in presenting radio talk shows,” Chuol said.

Chuol said the directives apply to some public announcements, including those made by political parties.

“This will also include political announcements. Any political announcement, the ministry should know about, or if there is anything else the ministry should know. But in general, what is needed is that we want to diversify the radio stations,” Chuol said.

The move has been criticized by civil society organizations in the state. INTREPID South Sudan, a civil society watchdog active in Jonglei State, issued a statement yesterday saying the ministry’s directives are an attempt to control the media, equating it to media censorship.

“It is evident that civic space is extremely narrow in Jonglei State. We are appealing to the Ministry to work in collaboration with the media fraternity and Civil Society Organizations to improve the space in the State,” INTREPID South Sudan said in the statement signed by its executive Director Bol Deng Bol.

“It is imperative to bring to the attention of the Ministry and the public that, the directive unfortunately constitutes censorship and therefore, undermines media freedom and independence. It is unacceptable and should be reversed in the interest of media development,” he added.

The Union of Journalists of South Sudan in Jonglei also disagreed with the ministry’s order and called on the government of Jonglei to reconsider the decision.

“As the Union of Journalists, we firmly believe in the fundamental principles of press freedom and freedom of expression. These principles are enshrined in both national and international laws and are essential for fostering a vibrant and democratic society,” the statement added.

“We call upon the Jonglei State Ministry of Information to immediately reconsider this order and uphold the principles of press freedom and freedom of expression. We also urge the government to engage in a constructive dialogue with media organizations, journalists, and other stakeholders,” the statement concluded.

But Chuol said the government directive has been taken out of context and denied censorship is ongoing in Jonglei State.

“In Jonglei State, there is no media censorship, but they want to bring a bad image to the government by claiming that there is media censorship. Censorship in what? Telling you that we are going to help you with journalism? Is that media censorship?” Chuol expressed.