South Sudan Media Sustainability Index (MSI)
April 24, 2013
About the MSI
IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country's media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4. These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and began studying Africa in 2006.
MSI Overview | Africa | Asia | Europe & Eurasia | Middle East & North Africa
Download Complete South Sudan Chapter (PDF): 2012
MSI South Sudan - 2012 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 1.53
The year 2011 proved momentous for South Sudan, as it gained independence on July 9. Independence came after South Sudanese endured vast suffering in Africa’s longest-running conflict. Ultimately, more than two million people lost their lives, and more than four million people were displaced during two phases of civil war spanning nearly 40 years and ending with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed on January 9, 2005. The interim period of the CPA expired in July 2011, six months after a referendum on self-determination for South Sudan that resulted in overwhelming approval of secession.
With their newly won independence, South Sudanese are governing themselves for the first time, but independence has brought daunting challenges. This new country is home to over 110 ethnic groups, many living in some of the world’s worst socio-economic conditions. The threat of violence still looms in the current transitional period, not only from renewed conflict between Sudan and South Sudan, but from intra- and inter-tribal conflict within South Sudan. Tribal conflicts erupt when minor disputes escalate over access to resources, sometimes driven or manipulated by elite or political interests. Ethnic conflicts and tensions are very high. There is still low understanding among citizens on how to speak up and defend their rights, and the panelists noted that this will not change unless the rule of law is observed and people are allowed to demand their constitutional rights via media outlets.
In the previous MSI study—which covered all of Sudan but included mostly southern panelists—the panelists predicted that when the country gained independence Sudanese in the south would enjoy greater freedom of speech and press than those in the north. They sounded one note of caution, however, noting fears that development in independent South Sudan may be affected by corrupt leadership, which, unless checked, could lead to greater suffering for the people than under a united Sudan.
Sadly, those fears are being realized. Soon after independence, South Sudan’s relations with Sudan grew darker. Coincidentally, the government became more suspicious of the media, becoming even more restrictive than before independence. Now South Sudanese officials are tightening the belt on media freedom and free speech in the nascent country. This diminishing media freedom, especially for the independent/private media is punctuated by acts of torture, harassment, intimidation, and detention. South Sudan media also faces steep challenges due to poor infrastructure, low investment, and poor pay and training for journalists.
Efforts by journalists to fight for their rights have not yielded much progress. Journalists do occasionally speak out against the intimidation, through media advocacy and professional organizations. A new media bill has been proposed, and now the media sector is waiting to see if fair laws can be implemented that will strengthen their rights—and to see if the laws will be enforced.
