The mission statement of the state-owned Radiodiffusion-Télévision du Burkina (RTB) declares that its broadcast networks are "adapted" to the requirements of law and democratic pluralism.
Mathieu N’do, managing editor of the opposition weekly San Finna, was detained by authorities on November 5, 2004, as he was returning from Ivory Coast.
In April 2007, popular radio reggae host Karim Sama, whose programs feature songs containing societal criticism interspersed with commentary on alleged government injustice and corruption, received several death threats.
[7] On the 27th of March 2023, Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo issued a signed statement stating that the government has suspended all France 24 broadcasts after the airing of an interview with the head of al-Qa'ida in North Africa.
[9] On the 28th of March, France 24 responded in a statement that they "strongly deplore" the decision and "the channel has never invited him to speak directly on its programmes, and has simply reported his words in the form of a column, ensuring the necessary distance and context.
“It’s up to the CSC to issue any sanctions to news media, not the government...The CSC is also supposed to provide advance notice for its decisions and all its final decisions may be appealed before competent courts.” [12] Two French correspondents in the country, Sophie Douce of Le Monde and Agnès Faivre from Libération were expelled from Burkina Faso after “The March 27 publication of a Libération investigation into the circumstances in which a video was filmed showing children and adolescents being executed in a military barracks by at least one soldier," Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo denied that his military was responsible for the killings, saying that it “strongly condemns these manipulations disguised as journalism to tarnish the image of the country”.
[13] Ouedraogo told the Associated Press (AP) that it denied involvement and that militants often disguise themselves as security forces and film their actions in order to blame the government.".
RTB also maintains a worldwide short-wave news broadcast (Radio Nationale Burkina) in the French language from the capital at Ouagadougou using a 100 kW transmitter on 4.815 and 5.030 MHz.