- In 2022, fewer than half (47%) of Sudanese said the press should be free to publish what it wants, while an equal share (47%) said the government should be able to censor what the media publishes. ○ Majorities supported media freedom among highly educated citizens (56% of those with post-secondary education) and urban residents (55%).
- Citizens were similarly divided on the question of whether the media was free in reality: 49% said the media was “somewhat free” or “completely free,” while 47% said it was “not very free” or “not at all free.”
- More than half (56%) of Sudanese agreed that “the news media should constantly investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption.”
- Half (50%) of respondents said information held by public authorities should not be disclosed to the public, though 40% disagreed.
- But majorities said the public should have access to information about teachers’ and local government officials’ salaries (65%), local government council budgets (59%), and bids and contracts for government-funded projects and purchases (58%).
- Almost six in 10 citizens (58%) said they get news via television “every day” or “a few times a week,” compared to fewer than half who regularly relied on social media, the Internet, or radio (all 45%). Only 12% of Sudanese frequently read newspapers.
Sudan’s provisional Constitution, adopted after Omar al-Bashir’s dictatorship ended in 2019, from al-Bashir developed a roadmap that provided recommendations for addressing guarantees freedom of the press and access to information (Reporters Without Borders, 2025). Following growing calls for media freedom, the Transitional Military Council that took over policy and regulatory gaps, including legal reforms to promote press freedom, the establishment of a transitional commission for media and information reform comprising independent experts, institutional restructuring of the public broadcasting network, investment in technical infrastructure, and the embedding of media literacy in school curricula (UNESCO, 2020).
Under the transitional government, Sudanese journalists reportedly enjoyed new freedoms, as news censorship, arrests of journalists, and raids on media houses – all previously common – largely ceased (Myers & Yassin, 2022). An independent journalists’ union was even re established in 2022 to defend journalists and advocate for press freedom (Reporters Without Borders, 2025).
According to independent observers, however, the newfound freedom of the press ended with the October 2021 military coup. Press freedoms eroded as journalists critical of the regime were arrested, media houses were again subjected to arbitrary raids, more than 30 media outlet licences were cancelled, and the Internet was shut down several times (Article 19, 2022). The media landscape was thereafter characterised by stringent restrictions, especially on political dissent and sensitive topics such as religious extremism and ethnic disparities (Generis Global Legal Services, 2024).
The outbreak of civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023 turned journalists and media outlets into targets. From the outset, media premises were sabotaged and looted, while violent attacks and abuses against journalists increased significantly, forcing many of them to flee to neighbouring countries (Mashaweer News, 2025). Journalists still face difficult conditions, including persecution, arbitrary arrests, and torture, as well as economic hardship and dwindling job opportunities (UNESCO, 2025).
Despite these challenges, journalists continue to report on the unfolding conflict and humanitarian crisis. The Sudan Media Forum, an organisation founded in 2024 by local journalists and independent media houses, says that the number of journalists reporting in the country declined from 1,500 before the war to between 250 and 300 on active duty as of April 2025, with about 70 working anonymously in the conflict zones (Mukundu, 2025). With the collapse of traditional media, information is increasingly being produced by “citizen journalists” – ordinary people who document their lives online (Mashaweer News, 2025).
The 2025 World Press Freedom Index ranks Sudan 156th out of 180 countries in media freedom, a drop from the previous year (149th) (Reporters Without Borders, 2025). As the military authorities consolidate their hold over Khartoum, Sudan’s media faces increasing restrictions with respect to both the territory it is allowed to report on and the length of media permits, which was recently reduced from one year to one week at a time. Meanwhile, the RSF only allows journalists who act as mouthpieces for their interests to publish content (Akua, 2025).
This dispatch looks at Sudanese citizens’ attitudes regarding media freedom as of late 2022, i.e. during the period between the military coup and the beginning of the civil war. Afrobarometer survey findings show that Sudanese were divided both in their support for media freedom and in their assessments of whether their media was in fact free.
A majority agreed the media should report on government mistakes and corruption. While fewer than half supported the public disclosure of official information, majorities supported citizen access to information about teacher and local government salaries, budgets, and contracts.
Television was the most popular source of news: More than half of Sudanese regularly received news via this channel.
