Journalism is the oxygen of democracy: How Sudan’s information crisis reflects a global reality

This story By Meera Selva originally appeared on Global Voices on 17 October 2025

Now more than ever, we need to talk about the importance of journalism. This is not about journalism as an abstract ideal, or as an industry fighting for survival, but as a living, breathing force that connects people to the information they need.

Protecting journalism is not just about saving newsrooms. It is about safeguarding people’s right to usable, trusted information, which is the very foundation of healthy societies everywhere. 

It is literally about saving lives. 

Because when information is deliberately and continually withheld from those who need it most, other human rights violations quickly follow.

In Sudan’s devastating multi-faceted war, a promising nascent journalism scene is being dismantled and weaponised. The journalists who reported with such energy about the political movements that upturned the old order had created a new, pluralistic, vibrant media sector. But with the start of the conflict in 2023, the information space has emerged as a parallel battlefield where warring parties readily spread disinformation and routinely suppress independent journalism. 

What’s more, access to news is deeply unequal: women, displaced people, those with disabilities, and rural communities are often excluded from critical information because of poor connectivity and destroyed infrastructure. Military control of online spaces further restricts people’s access. 

Sudan’s fragile information ecosystem reflects both the peril faced by journalists and the resilience of efforts to sustain independent reporting.

A report recently published by Internews has mapped the Sudanese media ecosystem, revealing the severe challenges this sector is facing, as well as the incredible and vital work that Sudanese journalists on the ground are carrying out for all of us.

Systematic attacks on media

Both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have destroyed media infrastructure, leaving journalists without livelihoods. Many self-censor, particularly around corruption and security agencies, while others have been forced to align with armed groups to survive. 

Surveillance, cyber harassment, and arbitrary arrests under cybercrime laws are common. The result is a skills vacuum, with experienced journalists having fled, leaving behind less experienced individuals thrust into reporting roles. 

The warring parties also maintain sophisticated media operations funded by their gold mining revenues. The war itself began with and continues to be sustained by information manipulation with false promises of quick victory and continued mobilisation narratives that prevent peace. 

This underscores why neutrality is not an option. When propaganda is the engine of war, failing to challenge it means becoming complicit in its spread. Understanding how information is weaponised in Sudan is crucial because the same tactics are increasingly deployed across global conflicts to manipulate public opinion and obstruct peace.

The hollowing out of Sudan’s media isn’t just a local tragedy: it allows warlords to operate in the shadows, unchecked by scrutiny. Without accurate testimony, the international community cannot deliver the precise support Sudanese citizens desperately need to survive this conflict.

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Evolving media consumption

As traditional media is dismantled, Sudanese audiences are turning to alternative sources, but these come with their own risks. 

Public attitudes reveal a deep mistrust of traditional outlets. Many Sudanese now rely on personal networks, social media influencers, and citizen journalists, sources they sometimes deem more credible than official channels. Trust in local Sudanese media has also deteriorated significantly, with audiences demonstrating a clear preference for international outlets, particularly Gulf news outlets. 

Despite their overt allegiances to factions within the conflict, such channels are widely consumed by Sudanese audiences, highlighting both the scarcity of independent alternatives and the urgent demand for reliable information.

Podcasts, livestreams, and citizen reporting dominate the information space. Both SAF and RSF aligned accounts readily circulate deepfakes, recycled footage, false casualty reports, and graphic images online, with posts often encouraging sectarian violence, particularly targeting the Darfuri and Nuba communities.

For Sudanese audiences, this distortion of the information space fuels real violence, entrenches mistrust between communities, and makes it nearly impossible for people to agree on a shared reality. Without credible alternatives, citizens are left vulnerable to manipulation that worsens both the conflict and the social fabric.

Exile journalism and grassroots initiatives

The war in Sudan has not only displaced millions, but it has also gutted the country’s information ecosystem. More than 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs, and many have fled to Uganda, Kenya, and Egypt. Those who remain face significant risks to report the news. Exiled media organizations are working to keep the story of Sudan alive, but they struggle with limited funding and increasing pressure, making their survival uncertain.

This matters far beyond Sudan. Information vacuums allow atrocities to go unrecorded, and disinformation is spread around the world via social media channels. When Sudanese reporters are silenced, others, often with political agendas, step in to rewrite the narrative. Campaigns like #KeepEyesOnSudan cut through this silence, ensuring the war isn’t forgotten.

Inside the country, grassroots networks like the Emergency Response Rooms show how information can literally save lives. WhatsApp alerts about troop movements and aid routes are not “informal;” they are frontline tools of survival. Meanwhile, outlets like Radio Dabanga and fact-checking initiatives like Beam Reports fight propaganda, while the Sudanese Female Journalists’ Network defends voices long targeted for erasure.

Failing to support these efforts risks enabling further harm. Governments, NGOs, and global audiences must recognize Sudanese media for what it is: resistance, survival, and the last safeguard against the war’s total invisibility.

Beyond institutions: Strengthening ecosystems

Sudan’s information crisis reflects a global reality: where communities are under pressure, the need for reliable information grows stronger. Yet discussions about media often focus on institutions rather than people. 

This is why media support must go beyond helping journalists. Strengthening whole ecosystems, including local outlets, digital platforms, and community leaders, ensures information remains trustworthy and resilient. Traditional organisational models may not be adequate; diverse, collaborative approaches are required. For Sudanese citizens, this means access to information they can rely on in moments when misinformation can cost lives. 

International media development actors and NGOs must therefore act as intermediaries between journalists on the ground and institutional donors, ensuring sustained support beyond immediate crisis response. A long-term strategy is essential: one that builds professional capacity, supports public-interest journalism, and helps outlets adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

Investing in resilient media ecosystems is not a luxury; it is a necessity. It is a prerequisite for peace and justice.

Why it matters

Press freedom cannot be separated from the public’s right to information. When reporters are silenced, it is communities that suffer. When local outlets disappear, it is ordinary people who are left without the knowledge they need to navigate their lives. Defending journalism is not charity for journalists. It is a commitment to the health, security, and dignity of everyone who relies on trustworthy information.

The challenges are enormous. Yet the situation in Sudan, and countless other contexts across the globe, also reminds us of the enduring hunger for reliable information. People still turn to journalism, even under the harshest conditions. Our job is to make sure they find it.

That is why decision-makers and leaders in the media and information space must remain committed to being global, present, and engaged, even in places that are too often overlooked. In Sudan and beyond, journalism is not just a profession; it is a lifeline that we must protect. Because if information is the oxygen of democracy, then ensuring access to trusted, usable news is one of the most urgent tasks of our time.

(NS)

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