91Èȱ¬

Benin media guide

Motorcycle taxi member looks at newspapers at the entrance to the National Hospital and University Centre (CNHU) in Cotonou on April 6, 2021Getty Images

Benin has a diverse media sector

Benin's constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and print outlets express a wide variety of viewpoints.

However, media outlets have encountered new scrutiny and restrictions under the President Talon, says the US-based NGO Freedom House and media outlets critical of the government "have increasingly risked suspension".

Freedom House says major television broadcasters have been closed by Benin's media regulator, which also banned all "unauthorized" online news outlets in 2020.

Radio is the main source of information, particularly in rural areas. Outlets broadcast in local languages and phone-in programmes are particularly popular.

The 91Èȱ¬ World Service (101.7) and Radio France Internationale are available on FM in Cotonou.

There were 3.8 million internet users by December 2021, comprising 30% of the population. Facebook is the leading social platform with 1.6 million users ((Internetworldstats.com).

Access to the internet and social media was cut during parliamentary elections in April 2019, according to online freedom organisation NetBlocks.

Press

  • - private, daily

  • - government daily

  • - private, daily

  • - private, daily

  • - private, daily

Television

  • - operated by state-run Office de Radiodiffusion et de Television du Benin (ORTB)

  • Canal 3 - private

  • Golfe TV - private

  • Carrefour TV

Radio

  • - run by state broadcaster ORTB, which also operates regional networks Radio Parakou and Atlantic FM

  • - private, Cotonou

  • - private, Cotonou

  • Golfe FM - private, Cotonou

  • - Catholic station

News agency/online

  • - news website

  • - news website

  • - news website

  • The state-run Agence Benin-Presse (ABP) was closed down by the government in 2022

Related topics