Mauritania media guide

Mauritanians read newspapers on a main street in Nouakchott

Privately-owned outlets provide competition for the state broadcaster, Telediffusion de Mauritanie (TDM). There is easy access to pan-Arab and European satellite TV.

Print newspapers have low circulations and some only publish irregularly. Some have moved to online-only publication.

Media rights groups say self-censorship is commonplace, especially when covering sensitive topics such as the military, corruption, and slavery. Legislation criminalises critical speech and "blasphemy".

Although internet use has risen substantially, driven by mobile access, it still only reaches a minority of the population. However, dozens of online news outlets have emerged.

Internet access is unrestricted. There were 969,000 internet users by December 2021, comprising 20% of the population (Worldinternetstats.com).

Facebook is the leading social media platform.

• Media guides by BBC Monitoring

Press

• Chaab - state-run daily, in Arabic

• Horizons - state-run daily, in French

• Akhbar - private, Arabic weekly

• Essirage - private, Arabic daily

• L'Authentique - private, French-language daily

Television

• Television de Mauritanie (TVM) - state-run, operates Elmouritania and Elmouritania 2 and thematic networks

• Sahel TV - private

• Al-Mourabitoun TV - private, pro-Islamist

• Chinguett TV - private

• El Wataniya - private

Radio

• Radio Mauritanie - state-run, programmes in Arabic and French; also operates youth network and Koran network

• Radio Sahara Media FM - private

• Mauritanid FM - private

News agencies/internet

• Mauritanian News Agency (AMI) - state-run

• Arriyada - private, news website

• Sahara Medias - private, news website

• Atlas Info - private, news website

• Tiguend - private, news website

• Cridem - private, news portal