Burkina Faso’s media regulator suspends BBC Africa and Voice of America
Committee to Protect JournalistsApr 26
Burkina Faso Blocks Additional Foreign News Outlets
Image copyright: Chesnot/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Burkina Faso's Superior Communications Council has blocked access to the websites for Agence de Presse Africaine, Deutsche Welle, Ecofin, Le Monde, Ouest-France, The Guardian, and TV5 Monde until further notice, with local retransmission of TV5 Monde's programs banned for two weeks.
Burkinabe authorities have previously suspended BBC Africa and Voice of America radio stations, the rebroadcasts of their programs, and access to their websites and digital platforms for two weeks.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Yet again, the coup regime has outrageously suspended international media outlets for reporting on military misconduct allegations, clearly showing its willingness to suppress journalism carried out in the public interest. Burkinabe authorities must reverse this directive and refrain from censoring the press once and for all.
Establishment-critical narrative
Burkina Faso will continue to suspend international news outlets whenever they engage in efforts to meddle in the country's internal affairs and publish false reports of atrocities. It's unacceptable for foreign-based media to try to manipulate the nation with subversive propaganda.
Nerd narrative
There's a 40% chance that Burkina Faso will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.