Media in Ivory Coast

The press includes printed newspapers and digital news productions. The National Press Agency (Agence Nationale de la Presse) — abbreviated ANP — is responsible for press supervision, pluralism, professional ethics and complaints. An online newspaper must, among other things, be declared to the public prosecutor, have a commercial company under OHADA commercial law (OHADA-Recht), and employ predominantly professional journalists with a valid journalist professional card (CIJP). Changes to personnel or the declaration must be reported within the prescribed deadlines. The CIJP is responsible for the professional card of journalists. Radio and television are regulated by the Audiovisual Communication Authority (Haute Autorité de la Communication Audiovisuelle), abbreviated HACA. It grants or supervises frequencies and authorizations and monitors ethics, diversity, equal access and pluralism, especially during elections. The public broadcaster (RTI) operates the public-service channels RTI 1, RTI 2 and RTI 3. Free-to-air national television channels also include NCI, A+ Ivoire, LIFE TV and 7 INFO. Radio services are organized, among other ways, as public, commercial, local, religious or institutional services. Audiovisual online services delivered via cable, fiber optic, satellite, ADSL or multimedia distribution require HACA authorization. This requires, among other things, a project description, legal form, commercial register (RCCM) entry, financing, technical provider, host, DNS, programming schedule and personnel information; news services may also require a journalistic professional card. HACA may order internet providers, hosts or intermediaries to block unlawful or harmful content immediately. RTI Play is a free local platform offering live television, radio, replays and podcasts. Users still incur data-connection or internet-access costs. Private and international streaming services have their own catalogs and prices; no uniform national streaming tariff is documented. Social networks in Ivory Coast are used mainly through mobile internet connections. Personal posts are subject to different rules from professional digital news productions or audiovisual platforms. The electronic communications and data-protection authority (ARTCI) is responsible for electronic communications and the protection of personal data. According to a study by ARTCI, the MSI 2022, published in 2025, 69 percent of households had internet access; the figure was 81 percent in cities and 50 percent in rural areas. 75 percent of households had a smartphone, fewer than 40 percent had individual access to a smart device, and 14.4 percent owned a computer. In the second quarter of 2025, 59.942.676 active mobile connections, 36.275.708 mobile internet connections and 607.193 fixed-line internet connections were recorded. Regional differences are particularly pronounced in rural areas and in the central and northern parts of the country. Users can complain to HACA or ANP and, under certain conditions, request a correction or right of reply. For false, defamatory or honor-impugning press content, the right of reply must be requested within six months; publication must take place no later than three days after receipt, or upon receipt for online services. Shorter deadlines apply to certain responses during elections. For minors, HACA, platforms, ministries and civil-society organizations are working on protection measures, media and information literacy, and digital safety functions. No uniform national age rating for all media services is documented.