Tunisia media guide
- Published
Since President Saied's seizure of extraordinary powers in 2021, journalists have faced increasing pressure and intimidation from government officials, says US-based NGO Freedom House.
Arrests and prosecutions of journalists and government opponents have continued, and a 2022 law ostensibly intended to combat fake news has been used to stifle dissent and create a climate of fear
Although television is still a significant part of the media sector, there is a trend away from watching broadcast TV, especially among younger audiences.
The radio sector is varied and dynamic, but print media have lost ground. Digital and alternative media platforms have witnessed significant growth.
The printed press sector is in rapid decline. In 2022, there were 21 newspapers in Tunisia, compared with nearly 250 at the outbreak of the 2011 revolution.
The online landscape is open, but users tend to self-censor when discussing sensitive topics.
The investigative website Nawaat is the most popular online news outlet in terms of social media following with over 1.5m followers across platform, followed by Tunisie Numerique and Babnet.
There were 9.9 million internet users by February 2024, comprising 79% of the population (Datareportal.com).
Press
La Presse, external - state-owned daily
Esshafa, external - state-owned daily
Assabah, external - private daily
Alchourouk, external - private daily
Le Temps, external - private daily
Le Maghreb, external - private daily
Akhbar Al Joumhouria, external - weekly covering political, economic, cultural and sports news
Television
Al-Watania, external (National TV) - state-run
Attesia TV, external - private
Hannibal TV, external - first private TV
Nessma El Jadida TV, external - private
El Hiwar Ettounsi TV, external - private
Radio
Radio Tunisienne, external - state-run; four national and five regional stations
Shems FM, external - state-owned
Mosaique FM, external - first private radio
Jawhara FM, external - private
Express FM, external - Arabic-language station specialising in economic and financial news
News agency/internet
Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, external - state-run, English-language pages
Babnet, external - Arabic-language news aggregator
Nawaat, external - investigative news website, in Arabic, French and English
Kapitalis, external - news website
Tunisie Numerique, external - news website, in Arabic French and English