Senegal Media Sustainability Index (MSI)
March 15, 2012
About the MSI
IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country's media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4. These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and began studying Africa in 2006.
MSI Overview | Africa | Asia | Europe & Eurasia | Middle East & North Africa
Download Complete Senegal Chapter (PDF): 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2006/7 | 2006/7 (français)
MSI Senegal-2010 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 2.06
With a marked thaw in tensions between the press and the Senegalese political establishment in 2010, harassment and violent acts against individual journalists and vandalism against media outlets decreased significantly. Although journalists reported some verbal harassment, none were imprisoned in 2010. MSI panelists noted a sharp drop in the number of times that police summoned journalists and publishers to headquarters to defend their work.
The shift in mood is also symbolized by the new press code, which prompted optimism among last year’s MSI panelists and has encouraged the media community. Issued by Assises National (a forum for national dialogue), the code’s provisions decriminalize libel, improve access to information, and stimulate the production of more local content. The new code steers at least 70 percent of the advertising from public companies to the private media, addressing those outlets’ major financial disadvantage. However, at the time that the MSI was prepared, the Senegal Parliament had not yet voted on the code.
Another significant media event was the launch of Television Futurs Medias (TFM), a privately-owned cultural television channel sponsored by the Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour. N’Dour owns the Futurs Medias press group, which includes a daily newspaper (L’Observateur) and a privately-owned commercial radio station (Radio Futurs Medias, RFM). TFM met all sorts of delays; for two years, the state had refused to grant N’Dour a broadcasting license.
Despite these optimistic signs, problems remain. Self-censorship poisons much reporting, and ethical and professional lapses, such as the acceptance of payment for coverage, continue. Media equipment in many outlets is severely outdated, and training is not keeping pace with technology—sounding alarms that Senegalese media might not be prepared for Africa’s swiftly approaching 2015 switch from analog to digital technology. In addition, poor management practices at many media businesses, coupled with the global economic crisis, have pushed many outlets to the brink of financial disaster.
After a troubling downward trajectory for the past couple of years, MSI scores for Objective 1 (freedom of speech) improved in 2010—albeit just slightly. The scores highlight the ease in tensions between the government and the press. Scores for Objective 3 (addressing the plurality of news sources) and Objective 5 (focusing on the associations that support the press) changed little from previous MSI panels, confirming the relative sustainability in those areas. However, lower scores for Objective 2 (professional journalism) and Objective 4 (business management) reflect the lingering problems facing Senegalese journalists and media outlets. Although Objective 2 scores showed slight gains over last year, Objective 4 scores declined further over the past year.
This study received technical and logistical support from the Mass Media Study and Research Group, Gaston Berger University, Saint-Louis.
