African Media Barometer Gabon

In Gabon there still remains a lot of room for improvement as far as the media is concerned. General freedom of expression is guaranteed under the Constitution and several pieces of legislation. There is an open Code of Communication, which guarantees freedom of expression to all citizens, as well as access to information and the media. Gabon has also signed most of the international instruments, including the Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa. In the light of these texts, the country has no reason to envy other democratic countries.

The media landscape is quite diverse in Gabon. Radio is the most important due to its affordability (there is no fee for radio), and reach across the nation. Around 30 radio stations cover 85% of the national territory. To improve standards in the media, professionals from both public and private media decided in 2009 to set up a voluntary media council. The council is to develop a code of ethics and establish a mechanism for members of the public to lodge complaints against the media in cases where they feel they have been treated unfairly or a story was inaccurate. This move is regarded as a positive sign of diminishing polarisation in the media.