Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are nationally and internationally state-owned and operated.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has had a rocky road with its media due to government conflicts. Since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, the country has struggled with democracy. Instead, autocratic leaders have often held power.

Mobutu's rule, which began in the 1960s, was marked by his personal control and the weakening of democratic institutions. This lasted for over thirty years until he was removed from power in 1997 amid rising dissatisfaction. Despite hopes for democracy under Laurent-Desire Kabila, who took over, his time in office was marked by conflict and a decline in freedoms, including those related to the press. Joseph Kabila's leadership also faced criticism for similar issues.

Throughout these changes, the media landscape in the DRC reflected the country's political shifts. Sometimes, there was more openness, but at other times, dissent was suppressed, and the government controlled the narrative. Despite these challenges, there were some positive steps, like the establishment of independent electoral commissions.^[1]

Constitution

The DRC's constitution was established in 1964 to bolster the presidency post-independence. It underwent revisions during the country's transition to Zaire in 1971 under President Mobutu. Further changes followed until a transitional constitution was adopted in 2003, as part of the 2002 Global and Inclusive Agreement in Sun City, South Africa. The current constitution took effect in 2006, with amendments made in 2011.

Ensuring the safety and protection of journalists and press freedom has been a longstanding challenge for the DRC. However, recent constitutional revisions have aimed to safeguard freedom of expression and the right to information. Article 23 grants individuals the freedom to express themselves through speech, print, and images, provided it adheres to the law and public morals. Article 24 focuses on the right to information, allowing the press to broadcast via radio and television within legal and moral boundaries.

In March 2023, the DRC introduced Ordinance Law 23/009, impacting Articles 23 and 24 of the constitution. This law replaced the stringent 1996 ordinance that severely restricted press freedom and expression. However, the new laws carry harsh penalties for disseminating false information, particularly targeting figures in authority, potentially empowering authorities rather than protecting journalists.^[2]

Media coverage in the DRC often prioritizes current political affairs over economic, social, and developmental news. Many outlets and organizations exhibit bias towards certain political candidates, and corruption remains a prevalent issue. ^[3]

While the constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press, the government has restricted this right in practice. Arrests, murders and other harassment of journalists is frequently reported.

In 2009, the freedom of the press global ranking released each year by Reporters Without Borders ranked the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 146 out of 175 countries.^[4][5]

There are several organizations monitoring freedom of the press in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

• Union nationale de la presse congolaise
• Journaliste en danger

Many journalists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are subjected to the practise of coupage (in English: cutting), where journalists are paid to write articles on behalf of persons who are the article's actual subject.^[6][7] Press independence remains stifled. There are two significant impacts from this practise:

• it affects the principle of remuneration of some journalists, enabling the Congolese print media to make it difficult for journalists to earn a living from legitimate journalism alone;
• it makes it easier to bribe the press, as much for partisan articles as for articles containing generally neutral information.

Haute Autorité des Médias & Efforts

The Haute Autorité des Médias (HAM), established in 2004, aims to promote responsible media practices while preventing the spread of hate speech and incitement to violence, especially regarding ethnic and tribal issues. However, the HAM faces challenges in asserting its regulatory authority across the Congo.^{[1] [8]}

In 2016, Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) organized training sessions for journalists covering politics, leading to government acknowledgment of malpractice and a formal apology, enhancing journalist protection.^[9]

Ordinance Law 23/009

While the new ordinance law 23/009 is an improvement over the previous one, critics from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Journaliste en Danger (JED) have criticized its lack of specificity regarding press independence and source confidentiality. Organizations like RSF and Free Press Limited are advocating for further measures to protect journalists and media channels.^[10]

The DRC's press freedom ranking is currently ranked 124th in the 2023 Reporters Without Borders index.^[11]

approaches

There is currently 540 newspapers in the country. Major newspapers are only nominally privately owned. Journalists must be members of the state-controlled union to practise their profession. The press today is firmly under MPR control. The largest dailies were Elima, Courrier d'Afrique, and Salongo (fr) (10,000).

The majority of print press publications are in French, an official language of the country. Despite their ambitions of national news coverage, it is difficult for these publications to attain broad coverage, both due to challenges in gathering information, and in physically distributing the publications. Many journalists are therefore tied to a city or a region, essentially Kinshasa.

Several daily newspapers are published, of which the majority have a pro-government bias. Some newspapers are published irregularly.

Daily publications

Bi-Weekly publications

Weekly publications

The postal, telephone, and telegraph services are owned and operated by the government. In 2002 there were an estimated 10,000 mainline phones in use nationwide. In 2003 there were an estimated 19 cell phones in use for every 1,000 people. State-controlled radio and television transmissions, operated under Radio-Television Nationale Congolaise (RTNC), are the prominent broadcasting stations, reaching the largest number of citizens. The RTNC radio broadcast of La Voix du Congo, is available in French, Swahili, Lingala, Tshiluba, and Kikongo. There are also many privately run broadcasting stations. In 2001, there were 3 AM and 11 FM radio stations and 4 television stations. In 2003, there were an estimated 385 radios and 2 television sets for every 1,000 people.

Since 1990 many television stations have been broadcasting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2006, 58 television channels were available. Of these, 38 are in Kinshasa.^[13]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has many radio stations, the majority of which are based in Kinshasa. The transitional Constitution installed an entity called Haute autorité des Medias (HAM), which oversees media activity, including radio broadcasting.

It is estimated that 60% of broadcasts are in the four national languages: (Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili, Tshiluba). The rest are in French and, rarely, in English.^[14]

International broadcasting entities from countries like Britain, France, and Switzerland operate in the DRC, but challenges such as censorship and language barriers limit their reach beyond major cities. Broadcasting stations like the BBC, RFI, and Fondation Hirondelle are accessible via radio in many urban cities.

Broadcasting Stations:

• BBC
• RFI
• Fondation Hirondelle
• Radio Okapi

• Telecommunications in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Democratic Republic of the Congo literature
• Democratic Republic of the Congo comics [fr] [1]
• Cinema of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• "Democratic Republic of the Congo: Directory: the Press". Africa South of the Sahara 2004. Regional Surveys of the World. Europa Publications. 2004. p. 300+. ISBN 1857431839.
• Jonathon Green; Nicholas J. Karolides (2005). "Democratic Republic of Congo". Encyclopedia of Censorship. Facts on File, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4381-1001-1.
• "Democratic Republic of Congo", Freedom of the Press, USA: Freedom House, 2016, OCLC 575093614.

• "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile: Media". BBC News. 21 November 2017.
• Karen Fung, African Studies Association (ed.). "News (by country): Congo-Kinshasa". Africa South of the Sahara. USA – via Stanford University. Annotated directory