There are currently at least 190 stations licensed to broadcast. Radio is the preferred medium among Ivorians. Most of the country’s approximately 100 newspapers and news sites have a strong political bias. Investigative journalism has begun to develop in recent years, and the arrival of the first privately owned TV channels in 2019 ended a more than 50-year monopoly of Radiodiffusion télévision ivoirienne (RTI). The country now has at least three private television channels broadcasting via DTT, as well as several others that are distributed from the Ivory Coast by television service providers. Most of these channels are owned by people close to the government.

Press freedom is still closely tied to the political environment. Some political parties and leaders still exert considerable influence on the media. RTI, the state-owned broadcaster, continues to act as the public relations branch of the government and president. 

The law does not contain any provisions for imprisonment for press offences, but it is still a crime to insult the president. The constitution guarantees freedom of expression, and the 2017 press law protects journalists’ sources. Despite certain reforms, the Electronic Communications Act of 6 June 2024 contains a provision criminalising the disclosure of electronic messages, which could be misused against journalists. Print and online media are regulated by the National Press Authority (ANP), and radio and television by the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA). The ANP can suspend the publication of a newspaper and impose a three-month publication ban, as it has several times since 2023. 

Newspaper sales are down and editorial staff are shrinking. Some national dailies that had a circulation of tens of thousands of copies 20 years ago now rarely sell more than 2,000 a day. Some newspapers started strategically shifting to digital platforms. In 2021, the investigative weekly L’Eléphant dechaîné announced that it was terminating its print edition to become an online newspaper. Privately owned TV channels rely on advertising for their survival but the advertising market, which media professionals say is insufficient. 

For cultural reasons, the Ivorian media do not openly address questions related to sexual orientation. Ethnic and regional issues must also be handled sensitively. 

Investigative reporters are often the target of corruption, arrests, intimidation — such as threats to share their personal information — and their newsrooms may be subject to attacks. Many journalists face security problems in connection with their work, from both political party activists and law enforcement. Journalists are sometimes attacked while covering political rallies and threatened online by activists.