South Sudan is the world’s youngest and most fragile country and its media landscape reflects these challenges. While the media sector has made gains in recent years, it remains challenged by a rapidly changing environment and a population lacking access to reliable and trustworthy information. Likewise, media sector actors lack reliable data on the extent of the population’s information needs and media access. These challenges are further exacerbated by conflict that has once again developed into civil war and an ensuing widespread humanitarian crisis since December 2013. Despite the immense problems that South Sudan faces, its media landscape provides significant opportunities for growth.

Internews commissioned Forcier Consulting to conduct an audience survey in South Sudan. While the ongoing security situation prevents coverage of the country on a fully national basis, this study set out to collect information on South Sudanese media access and consumption to inform the strategies and programming of media houses and media initiatives. This study is the first detailed analysis of the media landscape in South Sudan since the wide-scale conflict began in December 2013. Conducted across the country in April 2015, this survey collected data on media usage from 3,710 respondents. This survey does not purport to be nationally representative, but rather, is representative of the population that could be safely accessed in April 2015.