By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA
Accra, July 28, GNA – The Whistleblowers, Activists and Journalists Safety International Center (WAJSIC) has launched a comprehensive report examining the state of press freedom, journalists’ safety and the changing media landscape in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The report, titled “The Sahel: The State of the Media 2025–2026″, provides a comparative assessment of the media environment across the three member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), documenting the challenges confronting journalists amid evolving political, legal and security conditions.
A press release issued by the WAJSIC in Accra on Tuesday said the study was produced in collaboration with professional journalists from Sahel Horizon and was based on extensive field research, interviews and documentary analysis.
It said the report examined the legal, political, economic and security factors reshaping journalism in the Central Sahel and offered one of the most comprehensive assessments of developments in the region’s media landscape.
According to the WAJSIC, the study found an increasing use of legal restrictions, administrative sanctions, digital surveillance, economic pressure and intimidation against media practitioners in the three countries.
It also highlighted the growing difficulties encountered by journalists operating in exile, the weakening of independent professional institutions and the transformation of the regional information ecosystem.
Despite the challenges, the report documents the resilience of journalists who continue to provide independent public-interest reporting under increasingly difficult conditions.
“The report concludes with a series of practical recommendations for media organisations, international partners and institutions supporting independent journalism in the Sahel,” it added.
The WAJSIC noted that the publication was intended to contribute to a broader understanding of the profound changes affecting the media landscape in the Central Sahel and to stimulate informed discussions on strengthening press freedom and safeguarding journalists.
It said ensuring the safety of journalists remained essential to protecting citizens’ access to credible, reliable and independent information.
The centre called on media organisations, policymakers, development partners and press freedom advocates to support efforts aimed at protecting journalists and promoting independent journalism across the region.
The report is available from July 28, 2026, on the official WAJSIC and Sahel Horizon websites.
The WAJSIC expressed appreciation to the journalists, researchers and resource persons who contributed to the study, many of whom it noted worked under exceptionally difficult circumstances, as well as to the partners whose support made the research possible.
Founded in Ghana in 2021 by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, WAJSIC provides protection and support to journalists, whistleblowers, human rights defenders and anti-corruption actors facing persecution, intimidation and security threats across Africa and the Sahel.
Its interventions include emergency relocation, safe accommodation, legal assistance, psychosocial support, digital security and reintegration assistance for at-risk media professionals.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA