Publications de Presse Burundaise (PPB) is a government-run publications unit that controls the newspapers Le Renouveau and Ubumwe, being also in charge of printing and disseminating various government brochures.
Media assets
Publishing: Le Renouveau du Burundi, Ubumwe
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
PPB is government controlled having been established under Decree no. 100/0112 of 2019. The company’s executives, including the chief editors of PPB’s papers are appointed by the President based on the recommendation of the minister of communication. The latest appointments of all these executives were made in March 2021.
Source of funding and budget
PPB is government funded as a directorate in the Ministry of Communication. It also generates revenues by charging for announcements and advertisements. In 2019, PPB received a state subsidy of BIF 1bn (US$ 563,000), which was more than 50% of the unit’s budget. The publisher apparently is grappling with financial problems, its management saying two years ago that, without advertising money, Le Renouveau risked folding. In 2021, PPB received a state subsidy of BIF 1.1bn (US$ 546,000), according to the latest report from the finance ministry.
Editorial independence
The editorial policy of PPB is biased towards the government since it is a state department operating under a government directorate reporting to a minister and abiding by government rules and regulations, according to local experts and journalists.
No domestic statute that establishes the editorial independence of the PPB has been identified.
Observatoire de la Presse du Burundi, an NGO, plays a general oversight role in the media in Burundi. However, PPB has no oversight or assessment mechanism to validate the editorial independence of the publisher.
September 2023