Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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.

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.

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.

[2] Media coverage in the DRC often prioritizes current political affairs over economic, social, and developmental news.

[4][5] There are several organizations monitoring freedom of the press in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: 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.

There are two significant impacts from this practise: 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.

Organizations like RSF and Free Press Limited are advocating for further measures to protect journalists and media channels.

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.

[13] Source:[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.