Following the drama that occurred in Mazzouna, where the collapse of a wall in a high school cost the life of three students, the National Union of Tunisian journalists (SNJT) strongly criticized the management of the event by the authorities, which he describes as “catastrophic”, both human and communication.
In a statement published this Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the SNJT denounced the total absence of transparency and coordination in official communication, pointing to the silence of public institutions in the face of the distress of citizens and the media in search of reliable information.
According to the union, “journalists on the ground have been faced with multiple obstacles to exercise their profession, hampered by a lack of access to sources, refusals of information, and a manifest desire to restrict the media coverage of the drama”.
“The media black-out policy adopted by the authorities has only fueled rumors and disinformation, at a time when citizens had an urgent need for clarity and truth,” read the press release.
The SNJT thus called on the government to repeal circulars No. 4 and n ° 19, which, according to him, unfairly restrict the right of access to information, however guaranteed by the Constitution. These circulars impose prior authorizations and bureaucratic filters, even for information of public interest.
In addition, the union urged the Ministries of Health and Education to in depth their communication devices, especially in crisis.
Finally, the SNJT expressed its most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and its solidarity with the educational community and the inhabitants of Mazzouna, stressing that this drama should not be forgotten, but on the contrary, to serve as an electroshock to rethink both the safety of schools and the right of citizens to free, accessible and quality information.
