Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP) is the official news agency in Cote d’Ivoire. It is headquartered in Abidjan, the country’s commercial capital.
Media assets
News agency: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP)
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
AIP was created through law no. 61-200 of 1961 as a national public administrative establishment subordinate to the Ministry of Communications. The highest governing structure at AIP is its management council, whose members are overwhelmingly (seven out of eight) representatives of government bodies (mostly ministries). The agency’s general director is appointed through presidential decree upon nomination by the minister of communications.
Source of funding and budget
AIP is predominantly funded by the government. According to government budget documents, in 2020, it received a subsidy of XOF 622m (US$1.1m), which accounted for 76% of the agency’s total budget.
Editorial independence
There are no editorial rules requiring AIP to cover the authorities favorably. According to local journalists and experts, the agency enjoys editorial freedom despite attempts by officials, from time to time, to put pressure on the agency to change its editorial coverage. There is also no pro-government bias identified in the content of AIP, according to an ad hoc content analysis.
No statute, oversight, or assessment mechanism has been identified at AIP to validate its editorial independence.
July 2024