• Cabinet approves bill creating the National Media Regulation Council
• New body replaces the audiovisual regulator set up in 2006
• Reform expands oversight to digital platforms and content creators

Senegal’s government has taken a first step toward overhauling media regulation to reflect the digital transformation of information. Meeting in a cabinet session on January 7, the Council of Ministers adopted a bill establishing the National Media Regulation Council, known by its French acronym CNRM.

The new institution is set to replace the National Audiovisual Regulation Council, created in 2006, and marks a major revision of the legal framework governing the media sector. According to Alioune Sall, minister of communication, telecommunications, and the digital economy, the reform aims to adapt regulation to technological change, protect rights, strengthen accountability among media actors, and consolidate democracy. He said the legal text is aligned with international best practices in media and digital communication regulation and takes into account recommendations from regional and international bodies.

Over the past two decades, Senegal’s media landscape has been deeply reshaped by digitalization, the rise of social media platforms, and the rapid growth of independent content creators. Regulation is now expected to extend to a hybrid public information space in which the boundaries between traditional and digital media have become increasingly blurred. Under its mandate, the CNRM will be responsible for overseeing digital platforms and content creators who disseminate information to the public.

This approach reflects a broader global trend, as governments seek to balance the protection of freedoms with digital accountability in response to the spread of fake news and online opinion manipulation. Habibou Dia, director of communication at the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy, said that when digital actors participate in the public information space, they must be subject to principles of responsibility similar to those applied to traditional media. The objective is to establish a level playing field, promote shared ethical standards, and combat disinformation while safeguarding freedom of expression.

The cabinet’s adoption of the bill represents only an initial stage. The text is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly in the coming weeks for review and final approval. Its implementation would mark the start of a new phase in Senegal’s media regulation, based on an integrated and inclusive model adapted to the digital economy.

Muriel Edjo