After ten days in jail, Madiambal Diagne receives support from all sides. It is 2004 and the founder of the Avenir Communication Group (GAC), imprisoned on charges of « spreading false news, publishing secret documents and information that could incite serious political unrest. »  His Senegalese colleagues then decided to put away their pens and microphones. This is the first time in its history that Senegal woke up without information. The movement, which was widely followed, also had international repercussions and increased the pressure on the authorities. Yesterday, August 13, 2024, 20 years later, the country woke up once again without newspapers, and with silent televisions and radios!

Joint editorial: The Senegalese media, a programmed death

RSF calls for consultation

Faced with the standoff between private media and the new Senegalese authorities, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reiterates its recommendations in favour of dialogue and structural reforms for the right to information and the sustainability of journalism and the media. « The situation of the media in Senegal is worrying. Although the difficulties of the Senegalese press do not date from the arrival of the new authorities, the latter cannot remain indifferent to the leaden blanket weighing on the sector, with in particular 26% of reporters without employment contracts, heavy tax debts and a crisis of confidence between the media and the public. RSF calls on the Senegalese authorities to ensure that this crisis does not deprive the Senegalese of a vibrant press. The media are the channels for transmitting the right to information and the authorities are its guarantors. At this stage, it is important that the State and media stakeholders work together to find solutions that benefit the sector and democracy,” argued the RSF representative, M. Marong.