Entity Type: Domestic State-Affiliated Media

The Senegalese News Agency, or APS, serves as Senegal’s official state news agency, established by government order in 1959. 59-054 as a public establishment with industrial and commercial character. The agency changed status to a “national company” in 2019. Currently led by Director General Momar Diong (莫馬爾·迪翁), who was appointed in October 2024, replacing former director Thierno Ahmadou Sy. APS operates from its headquarters at Avenue 5, No. 1 in Dakar. Following its 1972 reform, the agency inherited Regional Information Centers to expand national coverage through regional bureaus. Its website, launched in 1998, was among Senegal’s top 20 most visited portals as of 2010 according to International Communication Office rankings. The agency’s mission involves collecting, processing, and disseminating official state information through multiple platforms while representing Senegal’s governmental perspective.

Radio Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS) is Senegal’s principal public media organization, operating five television channels (RTS1-RTS5) and nine radio stations covering national, international, and regional audiences. RTS was established under Law No. 92-02 of 1992, replacing the former state broadcaster ORTS, which had operated since 1973. The broadcaster operates under the Ministry of Culture and Communication, with governance resting with a 12-member Management Council representing various government ministries. The Director General is appointed by the President of Senegal. Pape Alé Niang became Director General on April 24, 2024, replacing Racine Talla. RTS receives funding through license fees collected via electricity bills, state subsidies, and advertising revenues, with an estimated annual budget of XOF 11.3 billion (approximately US$20.8 million). The broadcaster’s editorial stance reflects its close government relationship, with no formal legal framework guaranteeing editorial independence.

Le Soleil serves as Senegal’s state-owned daily newspaper, published in Dakar since May 20, 1970. The publication traces its roots to 1933 when French publisher Charles de Breteuil founded the Paris-Dakar weekly, which became sub-Saharan Africa’s first daily newspaper in 1936. Following Senegal’s independence, it was renamed Dakar-Matin in 1961 before adopting its current title. Established under President Léopold Sédar Senghor during a period of “tightly circumscribed” press freedoms, Le Soleil initially operated as a fully state-controlled media outlet. Since Senegal’s democratic transition in 2000, the government has maintained its position as “the main shareholder,” according to scholars Erin Baggott Carter and Brett L. Carter. The newspaper continues to serve as an important voice in Senegalese media while maintaining its historical connections to the state.