Developing media after civil war: How BBC Media Action is working to support South Sudan's media

In the months and years following civil war, media and communication have a central role to play in bridging divides, by providing space for dialogue, and building understanding and knowledge.

In South Sudan, tensions still flare despite the 2018 peace agreement that formally ended its multi-sided civil war. Yet the country’s media industry, so important in reconciling communities, is at serious risk. Early in 2022, a prominent South Sudanese civil society activist called on the donor community to fund media projects in the country, warning that media practitioners are quitting their professions due to the decline in funding.

Edmund Yakani, who heads the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), said that emerging media houses don’t last, due to lack of funding, censorship and the poor salaries associated with a media career in South Sudan.

Yakani’s statement is supported by our recent 2021 assessment of numerous media house partners as part of our Life in Lulu radio programme and associated activities.

Weeks or months without operating

We discovered that due to lack of funds, some media houses may go for days, weeks or months without operating. Others have had to cease operations completely.

These closures are not only associated with a lack of funding. Inadequate media knowledge and technical skills are also major factors. For example, some local media houses do not employ radio technicians, citing lack of budget for their salaries. This leaves presenters to multitask as radio technicians to close the gap – without the training and knowledge to do so.

Steps to address the challenges

Last year, through our Life in Lulu project, we selected 10 radio stations - mostly at national level - to partner with. All face many of the same issues, and have participated in sessions with two trainers: one focused on technical training, and one on building journalists' capacity in media and editorial skills more generally.

Our editorial trainer focuses on editorial policy and governance, content moderation, production skills, audience research, fact checking and information verification, safeguarding, and issues of disability and inclusion. The technical trainer, an experienced radio technician, covers in-depth knowledge of equipment maintenance, installation and management.

As part of Life in Lulu, BBC Media Action is also donating radio equipment to our 10 partner radio stations to help smooth their operations; they are also paid for airing our Life in Lulu radio drama programmes.

Meet our partner - Good News Radio

Good News Radio was named Most Trusted Radio in South Sudan 2021, based on research by Internews South Sudan. It is led by Marial Deng, a multimedia journalist with more than 10 years’ experience, and operates under the Catholic Radio Network, a religious media entity managing numerous media houses across South Sudan.

It is difficult to manage a radio house in the fragile Lakes State, an area renowned for revenge killings and cattle raids. Marial describes it as a tough and stressful task.

“Apart from funding inaccessibility, you will find there are situations where the radio lacks some very important equipment. For example, currently, we are lacking a biometric door lock system, on-air light, backup transmitter, and new computers for staff,” he said.

“The station also lacks field relay live broadcast to broadcast live events, recorders for the broadcast journalist to conduct recordings and headphones for the on-air studio and the broadcast journalist.”

His staff need technical training on equipment maintenance and management, he said, and would benefit from training on more general reporting and content creation skills.

Marial added that the station also faces the challenge of a low coverage area; his station uses a 2.5KW transmitter that covers a 150-kilometre radius.

Still, he said the station has over 1.2 million listeners, according to the 2013 UNMISS assessment report – demonstrating the continuing importance of radio as a source of information, entertainment and connection in the country.

Meet our partner - Nile FM

In 2013, the popular Malakal Town of Upper Nile was devastated by a series of civil wars that forced almost all of the town’s population to seek refuge at the United Nations Protection of Civilians Site (POC). Malakal POC is home to 31,095 internally displaced persons, according to September 2021 UN-IOM data.

Our call for applications to receive our training included radio stations from war-affected areas, and Nile FM – a humanitarian radio operating at the UN Hub – more than met the required standard qualifications. Originally managed by Internews South Sudan, Nile FM is now part of a local Community Engagement Network with support from international organisations, but struggles for sufficient funding.

Because of this, the radio station, which previously was run by more than 10 employees, is now operated by only three people. Dau Nyok, Nile FM station manager, says the institution lacks a lot of important equipment.

“We lack new computers for staff and a desktop for the on-air PC, field relay live broadcast to broadcast live events at the POC or at the Freedom Square, and recorders for the broadcast journalist to conduct recordings.

“Other missing equipment includes a studio console to improve quality and increase the number of phone lines and headphones for the on-air studio and the broadcast journalist,” said Dau.

Closing knowledge gaps

From October 2021 to March 2022, we carried out training to boost our partners’ future outlook and sustainability. These sessions were not limited to cities; three current Nile FM three staff and former seven employees in November 2021 attended a four-day training on editorial policy governance, safeguarding, disability, production skills and gender-sensitive reporting in Malakal Town.

Two senior staff from Nile FM were also part of five days of training on radio management, fundraising, sustainability and financial management, to help them generate funds and grow the institution in the absence of donors.

Nile FM staffer Aban Christopher said one of his main take-aways was from the safeguarding session. “This unit will help to protect myself and respect others, especially my colleagues, so that I don’t hurt them but instead take care of them while at work and at home.”

“As a journalist, the presentation on editorial guidelines was really important for my ethical growth. Secondly, the session on production was so good, because it will always make me prepare myself ahead of an interview or a program,” said female journalist Amani Ibrahim.

Journalist Malek Bol added: “The training has touched on a lot of very good things, especially what I really wanted to learn. The topic of gender sensitive reporting is a key, because gender issues are happening in our communities and we as media need to report a lot on that topic, so that our communities can change and even start prioritising issues for example taking girls to school.”

Quality in reporting

Good News Radio staff – of whom 10 attended our October 2021 editorial, safeguarding and production skills training – said the mix of theory and practical sessions has built their knowledge and skills.

“The training was excellent, and I have gained a lot from it, especially on topics such as considering inclusion when reporting, why it’s important to know the rights of people with disabilities not to be left out and ensuring equality when reporting,” said Monica Amesio, who presents a daily programme, The Evening Experience.

Mary Agum, presenter of Good Morning Lakes State – a daily current affairs programme – said: “Personally, the most enjoyable part of the training was production and content moderation sessions. This is simply because the skills will immediately help on how to improve my interviewing skills and others.”

Renewing our spirit

Station manager Marial Deng said the training had “renewed our spirit to work harder to deliver. I could see the staff so engaged and attentive during your presentation- meaning the sessions were interesting.

“Honestly, we have not been doing programmes on disability, safeguarding, although airtime is there for such programmes. The radio station staff will make use of the knowledge they have acquired,” said Marial.

With ongoing training, we are providing our radio partners with support to create editorial policies and in many cases, equipment to help them sustain their operations to provide trusted information and space for dialogue in this young nation.

About Life in Lulu 

Life in Lulu is a peace and conflict resolution project aimed at promoting peaceful co-existence, tolerance, and stability among the people of South Sudan, through radio dramas and community mobilisation. Our radio drama explores the day-to-day lives of the inhabitants of Lulu village, an imaginary rural location in South Sudan.

The project also builds the capacity of our radio station partners, so that they are better able to sustain their operations, bring trusted information to their audiences and create space for dialogue.

The civic education, peace engagement and capacity building project is co-funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

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