SOPECAM is a government-owned printing and publishing company that runs a printing house, a book publishing unit and a newspaper publisher. The main newspaper published by SOPECAM is Cameroon Tribune.
Media assets
Publishing: Cameroon Tribune, Cameroon Business Today, Nyanga, Weekend Sports et Loisirs
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
SOPECAM was created through the decree no 77/250 of 1977. It was transformed through decree no 2016/216 of 2016 into a shareholding fully owned by the state. According to information from the publisher, the company is accountable to the Ministry of Communication.
Source of funding and budget
SOPECAM generates its revenue through the sale of printing services and publications. Its newspapers are funded through a combination of advertising revenues and state subsidies. The government allocation represents a significant part (over 50%) of the budget on which SOPECAM’s news media rely. For 2021, SOPECAM received a state budget allocation of CFA 14.3bn (US$ 26.5m), according to media reports. Due to the decline in consumption of print media in the country, SOPECAM incurred a loss of CFA 77.4m (US$ 117,000) in 2021. The following year, the company netted CFA 146.1m (US$ 234,000). In 2022, the company had a turnover of CFA 20.9bn (US$ 33.6m), which was an increase in local currency from CFA 18.8bn (US$ 34.1m), according to media reports.
Editorial independence
The newspapers run by SOPECAM are entirely controlled by the government, their content being designed solely to support the authorities. The Cameroon Tribune, especially, given its popularity, is used by the authorities as a tool to disseminate state propaganda and to slam critics of the Cameroonian regime.
No domestic statute and no oversight or assessment mechanism to validate the editorial independence of the newspapers run by SOPECAM have been identified.
June 2024