Comoros media guide

Journalists continued to face harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests. Although the constitution guarantees press freedom, reporters routinely self-censor because of the heavy penalties for defamation.

Reporters Without Frontiers (RSF) says much information circulates online and on social media, where people can be more outspoken.

Radio is the dominant medium. The national state-run network competes with regional services and private stations. There is a national TV service and a handful of private TV stations.

Broadcasts from the neighbouring French island of Mayotte can be picked up in some areas.

Most papers publish weekly; a feeble advertising market, poverty and poor distribution inhibit circulation. The leading titles are Al-Watwan, published on Grand Comore, and Kwezi, published on Mayotte.

Radio France Internationale is relayed part-time on FM in the capital.

There were 228,000 internet users by December 2021, comprising 25% of the population (Internetlworldstats.com). Access is limited by a lack of infrastructure, power cuts and high connection costs.

• Media guides by BBC Monitoring

Press

• La Gazette de Comores - privately-owned weekly

• Al-Watwan - state-owned weekly

Television

• Television Nationale Comorienne (TNC) - national, state-owned, operated by Office de la Radio et de la Television des Comores (ORTC)

• Mtsangani Television (MTV) - Moroni

• Radio-Television Anjouanaise (RTA) - run by Anjouan regional government

Radio

• Radio Comoros - national, state-owned, operated by Office de la Radio et de la Television des Comores (ORTC)

• Radio Dziyalandze - Anjouan, relays Radio France Internationale

• Radio-Television Anjouanaise (RTA) - official station of Anjouan regional government

• Radio Ngazidja - official station of Grand Comore regional government

• RFO Mayotte - public radio from French island of Mayotte