The Congolese private press faces numerous challenges that jeopardize its existence. Over the last decade, around thirty weeklies have had to close their doors due to lack of financial resources and subsidies. The promoters of these newspapers are calling for the establishment of an audiovisual royalty (RAV) extended to the private press to help them survive.
The situation is particularly difficult for newspaper sellers, like Dany, who runs a kiosk in the city center of Brazzaville. He bears witness to the gradual disappearance of weeklies from his newsstand, such as Le Souverain, Les Echos du Congo, Le Défi Africain, Le Baobab, L’Observateur, Le Choc, La Rue die, to name just a few examples. This disappearance has a direct economic impact on newspaper sellers who see their income decrease.
Newspapers that have managed to survive, like Tam-Tam d’Afrique, have long depended on their meager revenues from sales and advertising. But according to journalist Arsène Séverin, this policy is risky given the reduction in the private press market. He also points out that the new newspapers in the running are seriously lacking in funding and are having difficulty building up sufficient capital for their operations.
This observation is shared by Asia Dominique de Marseille, specialist in the sector, who emphasizes that private newspapers are often financed by politicians. When the latter decide to withdraw their financial support, the newspapers suffer and are forced to close.
In this precarious situation, Jean Clotaire Himbou, secretary general of the Association of Press Editors of Congo, pleads in favor of extending the audiovisual royalty to the private press. However, he is skeptical about its implementation, because currently, this fee feeds the common mass without the rights holders benefiting from it regularly. The Congolese Consumer Rights Association even recently called for the repeal of this law establishing the RAV, emphasizing the need for a more equitable reform.
To save the Congolese private press and allow it to continue to play its essential role in democracy and informing the population, it is urgent to find lasting solutions to ensure its financing. The extension of the audiovisual license fee could be an interesting avenue, provided that the funds are really allocated to the private press and used in a transparent manner. It is also important to diversify funding sources and encourage local initiatives to ensure the sustainability of the Congolese private press.