Freedom of the Press
Central African Republic
2002 Scores
Press Status
Not Free
Press Freedom Score (0 = best, 100 = worst)
69
Legal Environment(0 = best, 30 = worst)
24
Political Environment(0 = best, 40 = worst)
23
Economic Environment(0 = best, 30 = worst)
22
Two periods of violence further tightened controls over the flow of news and information. Before the abortive military coups, the country had been moving slowly toward less restrictive policies. The several independent newspapers continued to be subject to severe libel laws. Broadcast media were dominated by the state and provided little coverage for critics of the regime. The licensed private radio stations are foreign-owned and broadcast music or religious programs.