“Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns. Why should we let them have ideas” – Joseph Stalin
The Sudanese people have long fought against a deeply entrenched political system. During the rule of El Bashir, confiscation of newspapers, violent raiding of newsrooms and termination of journalist’s licenses were only some of the repressive measures taken by the government on a daily basis. Sudan | RSF. As it’s widely known, every system’s objective is to prevail and survive, and the objective of the ruling power was to control circulated information and depoliticize a subjugated population. Sudan is a government-dominated and mixed economy. Sudan Politics, government, and taxation, Information about Politics, government, and taxation in Sudan (nationsencyclopedia.com)
In this economic system, the private sector is allowed some freedom to operate, but under close government surveillance and control. However, how much control should be undertaken by the government?
The media landscape in Sudan has been severely affected by the socio-economic instability in the country. Sudan witnessed a series of six attempted and five successful military coup d’états throughout its brief post-independence history. https://www.theafflatus.org/post/sudan-military-coup
The media landscape in Sudan has dominant monopolistic features that pertain to the country’s political state. The repercussions of the repressive policies limit freedom of the press and leave no room for perfect competition. Media in Sudan – Chronicle Fanack.com.
The dictatorships in Sudan resulted in complete control over economic resources and full government control of both television and radio, which are the main media outlets. Sudan is underdeveloped technologically with a centralized use of social media. The regime’s reach is not just limited to the public sector, but it extends to the private sector. The supporters of the regime own the private media outlets. As a result, it ensures the coherence of the messages tailored by the regime and the production of state propaganda. Sudan – Media Landscapes
The Changing Media Landscape
The country’s quest for Democracy from 1956 is still ongoing; Sudan had two short-lived democratic governments. The dominant military regime implements all necessary measures to censor and control the media and, most importantly, freedom of expression. According to Reporters Without Borders, Sudan is one of the world’s most hostile terrains for journalists. A recent example would be raiding of the house of Jazeera’s Khartoum bureau chief in lieu of the coup d’état. Sudan protests: Six killed as Al Jazeera bureau chief is arrested – CNN . The National Intelligence and Security Services recently reformed to General Intelligence Services is the main security force operating under Bashir’s rule. The general intelligence services have put in place a ruthless system of predation that many journalists have fallen prey to.
The Roadmap To Media Democracy: Shifting Power From The Few To The Many
Radio Dabanga in Sudan is at the forefront of promoting the democratization of Media, as it aims to make the rule of many possible. Home | Radio Dabanga (dabangasudan.org)
This directly taps into the concept of the democratization of the media introduced by McChesney. The concept of Democracy is relatively new in Sudan, as it was subject to 30 years of censorship and kleptocracy. However, Dabanga is among the very few independent media organizations that have stood their ground since its foundation in 2008. The outlet used to cover atrocities in Darfur and report war crimes, and as its funds increased, it expanded its coverage to the whole of Sudan with an aim to serve the entire population. The organization has a non-profit component and is independent, and it only accepts funding that safeguards its editorial independence. Dabanga’s financial freedom from the Sudanese government and its institutions allows the organization the freedom to produce content that reflects its core values. It depends heavily on grants from different international & governmental bodies, which satisfies McChesney’s definition of democratization of media. It’s governed by the executive board and the supervisory board. Both are involved in decision-making regarding the kind of content it produces, which frees it from political and commercial influence and allows it to produce content that reflects its core values.