The mass media in Mozambique is heavily influenced by the government. Information in

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

is relayed by means of television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the internet. Radio is the most popular form of media. Media outlets are regulated by the independent Supreme Mass Media Council.

Print media

Mozambican newspapers have relatively low circulation rates as a result of high newspaper prices and low

literacy rate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

s. One study indicates that only 5 in 1000 people have access to newspapers. The two most popular daily newspapers are state-owned Noticias and the privately owned O Pais. State controlled newspapers such as daily Diário de Moçambique and weekly Domingo are also highly circulated. Other newspapers include

Savana Savana is a town and commune in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Vohipeno, which is a part of Vatovavy-Fitovinany Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 4,000 in the 2001 commune census. Only primary ...

and

Tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

. A weekly newspaper known as Verdade is distributed free of charge near the capital city

Maputo Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a population of 1,0 ...

and is known for its negative views on the government. Noticias has the highest circulation rate at 16,000. Savana comes second with 15,000, while Domingo and Zambeze both have 10,000. Circulation is mainly confined to Maputo. Most funding and advertising revenue is given to pro-government newspapers. However, the number of private newspapers with critical views of the government have increased significantly in recent years.

Radio

Radio programmes are the most widespread form of media in the country. The most influential radio stations are state-owned, with most of the private radio stations having only a local audience. State-owned is the most popular radio station in the country. It was established shortly after Mozambique's independence in June 1975 as a result of a merger between three other radio stations. In October of that year,

LM Radio LM Radio is a radio station based in Maputo, Mozambique. Historically it was a shortwave station broadcasting to South Africa and Rhodesia from Lourenço Marques, the colonial era name of Maputo, hence the name "Lourenço Marques Radio" from 193 ...

, the

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

and English service of Rádio Moçambique was shut down and its facilities nationalized.

Television

The penetration rate of cable television in Maputo is roughly 30%. Televisão de Moçambique, established in 1981, is Mozambique's only state-controlled television station. It is headquartered in Maputo. Approximately five privately owned stations are also headquartered in Maputo. Foreign television stations such as Portuguese state TV and Brazilian-based Miramar have high viewership rates.

Internet

With only 4.8% of the population having access to the internet, Mozambique's internet usage is among the lowest in Africa. According to a report released in 2007, the capital Maputo had the highest internet usage rate, standing at 37.7%.''Assessment of Media Development in Mozambique: Based on UNESCO's Media Development Indicators'', p. 124 There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet, however, opposition party members report that government intelligence agents monitor e-mail."Mozambique"
''Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012'', Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 22 March 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2014.

References

Bibliography