Tunisia's journalists' union says the media sector is missing from the 2026–2030 development plan

Tunisia's main journalists' union called on Wednesday 1 July for parliament to insert a dedicated media strategy into the 2026–2030 development plan, warning that the draft currently under parliamentary review contains no specific direction for the press sector.

The Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens (SNJT) published a communiqué arguing that the draft plan contains a blind spot, with the document making no provision for the press and media even though the sector is now considered a core component of development policy.

The statement came the day after the Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Abdelhafidh, appeared before a joint session of parliamentary committees to present the plan.

What the plan currently contains

The plan was adopted by the Council of Ministers before being sent to parliament. Drawn up using a bottom-up approach that aggregated proposals from local, regional and district councils, it sets a target of 4.2 percent average annual growth and aims to reduce unemployment and contain inflation.

The parliament's Commission for Strategic Planning, Sustainable Development, Transport, Infrastructure and Territorial Planning held a preparatory session on Monday 29 June 2026 and scheduled a series of hearings from Tuesday 30 June to examine the plan's various axes.

Since its presentation, the draft plan has prompted debate focused on its growth targets, financing arrangements, the role of the private sector and its realistic capacity for execution. The SNJT communiqué shifts the debate to a dimension that had received little attention: the media sector.

Three demands

The SNJT is inviting deputies to use the parliamentary examination of the plan to enrich the document by incorporating a genuine strategy for the development of the press and media.

The first demand is that media be officially recognised as a productive sector within the digital and cultural economy, a recognition that the union says should lead to the sector being fully integrated into public policies on development, investment, innovation and digital transformation.

The union also calls for policies to guarantee the economic sustainability of media companies, support their digital transition, strengthen their competitiveness and encourage investment and innovation in a sector facing deep technological change.

The third strand is an argument about governance. The SNJT contends that development cannot be reduced to projects, investment and growth indicators, but also depends on transparency, the circulation of information, accountability and citizens' participation in monitoring public affairs — functions it says are impossible without professional, free and independent media.

The communiqué argues that robust media strengthen trust between institutions and citizens, limit the spread of rumours, detect dysfunction before it worsens and improve public access to information — all of which, the union says, also supports the monitoring and evaluation of public programmes.

Economic case

The SNJT also highlights the economic dimension of the sector, presenting it as a domain linked to the digital economy and the cultural and creative industries, capable of generating jobs and investment.

The union specifies that the request does not amount to a sectoral lobby or the defence of professional interests, but aims to complete the very foundations of development, which it says requires strong institutions, a transparent administration and a public able to follow and evaluate the work of government.

The SNJT's stated objective is to see a national vision emerge that makes the press and media a genuine driver of development, a partner in good governance and an actor in strengthening trust between the state and society.

The union is urging deputies to use the current debate to strengthen the text before the final adoption of the 2026–2030 development plan.

The Ministry of Economy and Planning had not responded to the SNJT communiqué by the time of publication. The parliament is expected to vote on the plan following the completion of committee hearings.