Société nouvelle de presse et d’édition de Côte d’Ivoire (SNPECI) is a state-owned publishing house in Côte d’Ivoire whose main title is Fraternité Matin, a widely read tabloid newspaper. The publication was established in 1964.


Media assets

Publishing: Fraternite Matin

State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)


Ownership and governance

SNPECI is a state-owned company, according to our own database. Its management is appointed by the government in its capacity as sole shareholder. The media refer to SNPECI as a state-owned company.

Source of funding and budget

Fraternite Matin has been faced with significant financial problems in recent years. In 2018, it had a turnover of XOF 116m (US$ 210,000), a decline of some XOF 34m compared to two years before. The entire group that publishes Fraternite Matin, SNPECI had a turnover of XOF 4.8bn (US$ 8.5m) in 2017, according to the latest data available. SNPECI generates funding through sales of copies and advertising. Yet, as its losses are covered by the government, it is safe to categorize the publisher as predominantly state funded. In the decade between 2011 and 2021, the daily press industry in Cote d’Ivoire saw its revenues tumble from XOF 6bn to XOF 2bn, a strong indication of the hardship that print media in the country have been facing.

Editorial independence

There are no editorial rules requiring SNPECI to favorably cover the authorities. According to local journalists and experts, the publisher (especially its main newspaper Fraternite Matin) enjoys editorial freedom in spite of officials trying, from time to time, unsuccessfully, to put pressure on the newspaper’s management. There is also no pro-government bias identified in the content of Fraternite Matin, according to an ad hoc content analysis.

No statute and no independent oversight or assessment mechanism to validate the editorial independence of SNPECI’s publications have been identified.

September 2023