Officially, Mozambique has nearly 1,000 media outlets, mainly newspapers and magazines, but many of them are no longer active because they are not economically viable. The government-controlled daily Noticias is the leading newspaper. O País is the most popular independent daily. Savana and Canal de Moçambique are independent weeklies with a fairly high profile. Mozambique also has some 20 TV channels and about 50 radio stations. 

A significant number of media outlets are directly or indirectly controlled by the authorities or members of Frelimo, the ruling party. Frelimo’s grip on the media was displayed again during the elections in October 2019 in which President Filipe Nyusi secured another term. The European Union’s election observation mission noted unbalanced electoral coverage. Journalists’ reporting is often obstructed during elections. 

Journalistic freedom and independence are supposed to be guaranteed by the constitution and by the law on the press and the right to information. But the legislation is rarely applied, in an environment marked by growing authoritarianism and increasingly difficult access to information.

State control over the press is also exercised through media ownership and advertising. Most of the ads are placed by large state-owned companies inherited from the communist era’s hyper-centralised economy. This facilitates a great deal of interference in editorial decisions at both state and privately owned media outlets, which have little latitude to criticise the president.

The consequences of 25 years of single-party rule (1975-1990) are still being felt in the public debate. Fear and a culture of secrecy still constitute obstacles to the dissemination of information. Sexism is still widespread and limits women's access to journalism.

Recent years have seen an increase in attacks against journalists. They are victims of death threats, beatings by law enforcement and even murder. Journalist João Fernando Chamusse’s murder in December 2023 illustrates the impunity prevailing in Mozambique. Accessing the north of the country, the site of an Islamist insurrection since 2017, is now virtually impossible without risking arrest. The information blackout also affects the international media, which are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain authorisation to cover that territory.