The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) in a press release on Wednesday said that the media industry in South Sudan is facing financial challenges and this has impacted negatively on their work.

According to CEPO, its civic space watch program observed that many media houses even closed shop due to financial difficulties.

“The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization’s program, civic space watch, realized that financing news media outlets in South Sudan is becoming problematic and this has impacted negatively in sustaining news media outlets,” the CEPO statement read.  “News media is sometimes called the “Fourth Estate” or the fourth branch of the government. It is true since free and independent news media allows the public to make informed decisions and holds leaders accountable.”

CEPO said they realized that since 2013, news media financing has been reducing annually and this is demonstrated and evidenced by professional journalists leaving the media houses and joining media tasks in non-news institutions. It added that many newspapers had folded as a result and radio stations only do commercial work.

Edmund Yakani, the executive director of CEPO, said that South Sudan is facing a political transition aimed at moving the country from violence to peace through the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and requires robust news media outlets.

“The low rate of investment in the news media (industry) in South Sudan is making most news media outlets close or lose professional journalists. This means a low trigger for public motivation for civic engagement,” Yakani said. “Financing the news media outlets right now in South Sudan is essential for creating space for effective civic engagement on the political transitional processes, especially constitution-making, transitional justice, institutions, and legislative/policy reforms.”

He added: “Without vibrant news media outlets across South Sudan, the chance of misinformation and disinformation taking lead in shaping public opinion is very high. Proper financing leads to vibrant news media outlets.”

CEPO called on the financial firms and the donor community to fund news media outlets for a smooth transition to peace.