Independent Eritrea has one of the harshest media regimes, with private and foreign ownership being banned since the early 2000s.
Voice of the Broad Masses), first broadcast in early 1979 from Fah and Sahel, played a revolutionary role.
[5] In 1996, the Eritrean government passed a law banning private broadcast media and requiring licenses for journalists and newspapers.
[6] In 2001, in an effort to quell burgeoning dissent about the future of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice, the government closed down eight independent newspapers and arrested an undisclosed number of journalists.
[7] The newspapers affected included Meqaleh, Setit, Tiganay, Zemen, Wintana, Admas, Keste Debena, and Mana.
[7][8] Official reasons for the ban included national security, and failure to comply with media laws and regulations.