Media in Senegal

Senegal has an established but fragmented media system. The Constitution protects freedom of expression and allows press creation without prior authorisation, while the 2017 Press Code covers print media, audiovisual services and online press. Professional online press services have formal requirements, including Senegalese ownership of at least 51%, no more than 20% foreign ownership, at least three journalists, and experienced editorial leadership. Registration and declarations may involve the Ministère de la Communication, the Conseil national de régulation de l’audiovisuel (CNRA), the Autorité de régulation des télécommunications et des postes (ARTP) and the relevant digital administration portal. The CNRA supervises audiovisual content, pluralism, ethics, professional standards, broadcasters’ obligations and sanctions. Radio Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS) provides public television and radio through terrestrial services, an application and social media. Télédiffusion du Sénégal (TDS-SA) operates national terrestrial broadcasting. Digital terrestrial television, known as TNT, uses DVB-T2 and MPEG-4 technology. Two of its four multiplexes are free and two are pay services. TDS reports about 70% population coverage, including 17 national free channels and two local channels. Free reception requires an antenna and, depending on the equipment, a compatible DVB-T2 decoder. Coverage and reception remain less reliable in some rural areas. Community radio provides regional information, local-language programming and opportunities for public discussion. The Agence de Presse Sénégalaise (APS) supplies national news and produces web, audio and image content. Political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations can receive access to radio and television under pluralism and participation rules, particularly during elections and political information programmes. Internet access, devices, language and regional inequality still limit practical participation. Streaming is more fragmented. RTS offers live and replay programmes, while TDS is developing catalogue, video-on-demand, subscription and catch-up services. Global platforms are also available; Netflix Senegal lists plans from USD 2.99 to USD 9.99 per month. The final cost of streaming depends on the platform, internet package and network coverage. Internet access is usually paid through a mobile or fixed package rather than a single media fee. In December 2025, the CNRA ordered Canal+ Sénégal to remove Netflix integration from Canal+ offers by 26 December 2025; this did not remove standalone Netflix access through its own website or application. Availability of television and sports content depends on distribution rights. Social media use is mainly mobile. ARTP recorded about 20.8 million SIM or line-based internet accesses in the fourth quarter of 2024, with mobile access dominant. SIM identification is legally required for mobile, fixed and internet services. The Press Code applies to professional online press and audiovisual services delivered over the internet, but it does not automatically classify every private user post as professional media. Social media users remain subject to Senegalese law, platform rules and data-protection requirements. Defamation, disinformation and conduct affecting public order can create legal risks. The Commission de Protection des Données personnelles (CDP) handles data-protection rights such as information, access, correction, objection, deletion and complaints. Copyright protection under Loi 2008-09 means that films, music, photographs and sports feeds cannot generally be copied or redistributed freely. The Bureau Sénégalais du Droit d’Auteur (BSDA) has a copyright-related role, while the CNRA handles complaints concerning audiovisual content and ARTP handles telecommunications access, frequencies and quality-of-service matters. Children and adolescents receive specific safeguards in audiovisual broadcasting. CNRA rules and broadcasters’ obligations address content ratings, sensitive or violent material outside children’s main viewing periods and a minimum three-second delay for interactive live programmes. TDS decoders can offer parental controls and profiles, and Netflix provides children’s profiles and maturity controls. Online protection is less uniformly controlled nationally, so parental supervision and media-literacy skills remain practical safeguards. In 2024, internet access reached 40.7% among children aged 10 to 14. Journalists may apply for a national press card through the Commission de la Carte Nationale de Presse. The application can require a CORED clearance, identity or birth documents, a criminal-record certificate issued within three months, a journalism diploma or recognised equivalent, three photographs, a 10,000 FCFA fee and a commitment related to loss of status. Alternative professional-experience routes may apply where the applicant lacks a journalism diploma. The card proves professional status and supports access to public events, except where defence secrecy, investigative secrecy or special access rules apply. Journalists are expected to seek truth, act honestly and impartially, respect the public’s right to information and maintain independence. Print responses generally have a maximum period of three days, or 24 hours during an election period; refusals can be taken to CORED or a competent court. A media organisation or online press service therefore faces different requirements from an individual social media user. A user choosing a media source should compare editorial responsibility, language, geographic coverage, access cost, data use and whether the content is live, recorded or user-generated. People with limited home internet may rely more on radio, mobile data or free terrestrial television, while fibre-based access remains concentrated in better-served areas; fibre penetration was 4.2% overall and 0.2% in rural areas in the cited research.