Media in South Sudan

Radio is the dominant mass medium in South Sudan. State, private, church, community and NGO-supported stations broadcast national and local information, often in local languages. Community radio has an estimated potential audience of about 2.1 million people, although conflict can interrupt service; stations in Leer and Nasir have been off air. The South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) is the state public broadcaster with radio, television and digital services, but infrastructure, funding and security gaps limit its practical reach. Print media is concentrated in Juba and faces registration, taxation, printing, distribution and advertising-market pressures. The South Sudan Media Authority (SSMA) recorded 306 registered media entities in August 2025, including 123 radio stations, 53 newspapers or magazines, 18 television stations, 6 satellite services, 9 media advocacy organizations and 97 other entities. Registration does not show that an outlet is active or available nationwide. The operational newspaper landscape has been described as much smaller, with six newspapers reported as operating, four in English and two in Arabic. Television through terrestrial and satellite services has more limited access than radio. Streaming is a niche option that depends on a suitable device, electricity, mobile data and network quality. Sounda, a Juba-based on-demand service launched in 2023, offers South Sudanese music, podcasts, poetry and comedy. MTN TV+ provides local internet television and video on demand, while Netflix is internationally available. There is no evidence that streaming has reached a mass market or replaced radio and television. South Sudan is a mobile-first but largely offline environment. DataReportal and Kepios estimated 5.89 million mobile connections, equal to 48.1% of the population, 1.61 million internet users, equal to 13.2%, and 997,000 social-media user identities, equal to 8.1%, in October 2025. User identities do not necessarily represent unique people. About 78% of the population lived in rural areas at that time. Devices, electricity, data prices, income, distance, safety, literacy and language restrict access, especially outside Juba and other urban centres. Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp and Messenger support news distribution, crisis communication, diaspora contact and public participation. The National Communication Authority (NCA) regulates telecommunications, frequencies and communications. From 22 to 27 January 2025, the NCA blocked Facebook and TikTok over graphic or inflammatory content; the initial restriction was reported as lasting at least 30 days and up to 90 days, and it was later lifted. Social platforms also create risks involving hate speech, disinformation, ethnic or political mobilisation, privacy, surveillance and the exposure of sources or individuals. The SSMA is the independent regulator responsible for registration and licensing of print, broadcast and online media, journalist accreditation, monitoring, complaints and related training. A media licence identifies the media type, operating area and duration. Applications can require organizational details, board information, staff, technical equipment, incorporation documents, a tax identification number, programme schedules or publication frequency, languages, coverage and financing information. Registration and licensing involve fees, and an ethics workshop may also apply; general fee amounts and a uniform service deadline are not reliably published. Journalists and media practitioners working nationally, independently or internationally generally need official SSMA accreditation. National applicants may need an employer letter, an authenticated professional certificate, work samples, two passport photographs and a national identity card or passport. Freelancers may need a reference letter and supporting evidence. International applicants may need a work permit, passport and home-country press card. Students can request a practicum permit. The accreditation card states the type, validity and individual number. The SSMA may suspend or revoke accreditation, and the accreditation process provides for a decision within 15 working days and a complaint against rejection or silence within 30 days. The Transitional Constitution of 2011 protects freedom of expression, receiving and sharing information, publication, access to the press and media freedom under Article 24. Article 32 provides access to government information and records, including electronic records, subject to exceptions such as public security and privacy. Article 22 protects privacy. Laws concerning public order, safety and morals can limit these rights, and practical conditions are more restrictive than the constitutional wording suggests. The Media Authority Act 2013, Broadcasting Corporation Act 2013, Right of Access to Information Act 2013 and the 2021 Code of Conduct for Practice of Journalism provide additional rules on media work, access and professional conduct. Journalist safety remains a serious concern. Reported risks include censorship, pressure from security bodies, arbitrary detention, intimidation, violence, impunity and self-censorship. Conflict areas and reporting on ethnically sensitive or politically contentious issues carry particularly high risks. Reporters Without Borders ranked South Sudan 118th of 180 countries in its 2026 index, with a score of 46.16, and reported that at least nine journalists had been killed since 2014. CPJ and Human Rights Watch documented detention and harassment in 2024 and 2025. Participation is possible through radio call-ins, community programmes, WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, local-language formats, Boda Boda Talk Talk mobile loudspeakers and humanitarian communication with communities. The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) supports journalists through protection, legal aid, training and ten state branches. The Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS), UNESCO and Internews also support training and advocacy. Reach, moderation and protection differ widely between these channels. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) means the ability to find, understand, assess and use media and information safely. A UNESCO MIL Centre at Juba Day Secondary School had reached 114 students by June 2025. A curriculum validated with the University of Juba was being prepared for wider rollout, but no nationwide implementation was documented. Young people may encounter hate speech, tribalism, revenge content, misinformation, online exploitation, distraction and privacy risks. Protection currently depends mainly on constitutional and child-rights norms, schools, parents, platform rules and MIL initiatives rather than one nationwide media-specific youth-protection system.