Media of Mauritania

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The media of Mauritania is undergoing a shift into a freer journalistic environment, while becoming increasingly open to private sector. [1]

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Journalists are experiencing a period of relative freedom following the coup of 2005, which ended a military dictatorship. The laws governing media are the most liberal in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. As of 2010, Reporters Without Borders ranked Mauritania 99 out of 178 in its worldwide index of press freedom.

Sub-Saharan Africa area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara Desert

Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. According to the United Nations, it consists of all African countries that are fully or partially located south of the Sahara. It contrasts with North Africa, whose territories are part of the League of Arab states within the Arab world. The states of Somalia, Djibouti, Comoros and the Arabic speaking Mauritania are however geographically in sub-Saharan Africa, although they are members of the Arab League as well. The UN Development Program lists 46 of Africa’s 54 countries as “sub-Saharan,” excluding Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia.

Mauritania Islamic republic in Northwest Africa

Mauritania is a country in Northwest Africa. It is the eleventh largest sovereign state in Africa and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest.

A setback for press freedom occurred in 2009, when Hanevy Ould Dehah, editor of the website Taqadoumy, was imprisoned for several months, with an arbitrarily extended prison sentence, on the grounds of offending morals. [2] Journalists may be banned in Mauritania for publishing work that undermines Islam.

After a coup in 2008, the new regime clamped down on some radio and television journalists, while other media enjoyed freedom of speech, notably "Le Calame" and "La Tribune". [3] Poorly paid journalists often edit work on demand by politicians or business interests. Self-censoring and lack of sources for articles are other problems marring balanced reporting in Mauritania.

Freedom of speech Right to communicate ones opinions and ideas

Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The term "freedom of expression" is sometimes used synonymously but includes any act of seeking, receiving, and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.

Print

Print media are enjoying a period of freedom under the current government, and freedom of speech is, for the most part, flourishing. The most popular print publications in Mauritania today are sensationalist newspapers called "peshmergas".

OCLC global library cooperative

OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Incorporated d/b/a OCLC is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world's information and reducing information costs". It was founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the largest online public access catalog (OPAC) in the world. OCLC is funded mainly by the fees that libraries have to pay for its services. OCLC also maintains the Dewey Decimal Classification system.

Television

Mauritania's TV stations are state-owned. In 2010, however, the government passed legislation to open broadcasting to the private sector. Mauritania's public television station also has six regional stations that offer local programming.

News agencies:

Radio

See also: List of radio stations in Africa: Mauritania

Mauritania's radio stations are state-owned. In 2010, however, the government passed legislation to open broadcasting to the private sector.

Agence Indépendante d'information ALAKHBAR. Première agence d’information indépendante en mauritanien. Elle publie en Arabe et en Français

Telecommunications

Mauritel, which was privatized in 2001, maintains a monopoly over fixed-line service.

Mobile phone service is mostly restricted to urban areas, where 70 out of 100 people have mobile phones. [6] Moroccan-owned Maroc Telecom operates in Mauritania, as well as Burkina Faso, Gabon and Mali.

See also

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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Nouakchott, Mauritania.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Mauritania: Media and Publishing". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  2. ↑ "Mauritania". Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Europa 2003.
  4. 1 2 3 "Mauritania Profile: Media". BBC News . Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  5. ↑ Anthony G. Pazzanita (2008). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania (3rd ed.). United States: Scarecrow Press. ISBN   978-0-8108-6265-4.
  6. ↑ "Mauritania, CIA World Fact Book". CIA. Retrieved August 20, 2011.

Bibliography

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