Media Authority seeks funding for nationwide campaign against election hate speech
The Media Authority is appealing to the government and development partners for financial and technical support to launch a nationwide public awareness campaign against hate speech and misinformation ahead of the December general elections.
Ajou Luol Akuei, the Managing Director of the Media Authority, says the campaign aims to promote peaceful communication, responsible information sharing and tolerance throughout the electoral period.
However, he says the initiative has not yet started due to limited financial resources.
“The media authority intends to launch a public awareness campaign to combat hate speech, misinformation, disinformation during the electoral period, subject to the availability of the necessary resources and support,” he said.
“We are supposed actually to conduct this campaign, you know, ahead of the election, some months. But because of the lack of the funds and the resources, we are still now calling our government and also our partners that are taking part in these electoral procedures to support media authorities so that we can address those issues of hate speech and misinformation and disinformation.”
Akuei called on media houses, journalists and other stakeholders to support public education on peaceful elections, civic responsibility and the dangers of inflammatory communication.
He says the campaign should cover the entire electoral process, including voter education, political campaigns, voting and the announcement of election results.
South Sudan launched its nationwide Civic and Voter Education Campaign in July 2026 ahead of the general elections scheduled for December 22.
The Media Authority has also reported cases of election-related misinformation and disinformation during ongoing electoral activities.
In October, the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) called for stronger coordination and early response mechanisms to address hate speech and disinformation.
