Sudanese newspapers distribution declines by 32%

Khartoum-Media professional and journalists said the press institutions face” a nightmare” due to the rise in the costs of print journalism industry and decline in the distribution rate of newspapers from 507

thousand copy in 2010 to 345 thousand in 2013.

The former Editor in Chief of Al-Sahafa newspaper, Al-Nour Ahmed Al-Nour said in a symposium on the occasion of the world Press Freedom Day, organized by the Sudanese journalists network, at Teeba Press in Khartoum on Saturday, that the distribution of the daily political newspapers declined to 183 thousand copies, adding that” the percentage of distribution of 37 newspapers dropped from 507 thousand copies in 2010 to 345 thousand copies in 2013”, reaching a decline by 32%.

He stated that that was before approving the costs in last November.

He pointed to the stoppage of 12 newspapers due to economic and political reasons, saying” the situation is very bad”

Speaking to the World Press Freedom Day celebration in Omdurman College for Technology of Press and Printing, the renowned journalist Mahjoub Mohamed Saleh said that” come to speak safely” is one of the mottos this year.

He said that the press freedom is part of the expression freedom which is the responsibility of the society as a whole, adding that’ a legal reform that affirms and expresses freedom of expression is a must, and the coming constitution shall include the bill of rights”.

He considered what is happening to the press now as “violating the current constitution”. Urging those responsible for the press to provide favorable atmosphere for the journalists and create a self-accountability mechanism.

He stressed the necessity of coping with the developments in the media sector and addressing the economic issues of the Sudanese press and the continuous training for journalists.