Senegal’s Media Blackout: RSF calls for dialogue between authorities and press stakeholders
Tensions between private media players and the new authorities have been brewing for months. After two leading media outlets had to suspend publications, the Council of Press Distributors and Publishers (CDEPS) organised the Day Without Press on 13 August. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on all involved parties to resume dialogue in order to uphold the right to information, a pillar of Senegalese democracy.
As the tug-of-war between the private media and the new Senegalese authorities worsens, RSF reiterates its tailored recommendations to promote dialogue and structural reforms for the right to information and the sustainability of journalism and the media in Senegal.
The Senegal Council of Press Distributors and Publishers (Conseil des diffuseurs et éditeurs de presse du Sénégal or CDEPS) called for a media blackout on 13 August, designating it a “Day Without Press” after the leading sports dailies Stades and Sunu Lamb ceased their publications a week prior due to growing financial difficulties. On 6 August, the Coordination of Press Associations (CAP), which regroups local media organizations, condemned the "multifaceted pressures" facing Senegalese media, which include tax inspections, notices for for outstanding licensing fees the media currently struggle to pay and public entities illegally suspending commercial contracts with private media.. According to RSF’s information, at least seven other private media are on the brink of going out of business.
The fundamental problem behind this journalism crisis is the lack of economic sustainability for Senegalese media.
In June, RSF submitted about thirty recommendations to the new Senegalese authorities, which take into account the fundamental problem underlying the press crisis: the economic sustainability of Senegalese media. The recommendations include an urgent call to reform public aid as well as clarification of the conditions for news production and more precise rules on media transparency.
The media situation in Senegal is worrying. While the woes of the Senegalese press predate the new authorities, the government cannot remain inattentive to the lead blanket smothering the sector. Twenty-six percent of reporters have no work contracts, there are heavy tax debts, and a crisis of public trust in the media. RSF calls on the Senegalese authorities to ensure this crisis does not deprive the Senegalese people of a vibrant press. The media are the channels through which the right to information is transmitted, and the authorities are the guarantors of this right. At this stage, it's important for the state and media players to work together to find solutions that are beneficial for the sector and for democracy.
Last June, RSF published the report “Le Journalisme Sénégalais À La Croisée Des Chemins” (Senegalese Journalism At A Crossroads) which provides concrete recommendations to uphold the protection of journalists, media pluralism, and the fight against disinformation in Senegal.
