The president of Guinea's High Authority of Communication (HAC), Boubacar Yacine Diallo, recently met with the new bureau of the Private Press Professional Associations Federation of Guinea (FEPAP-GUI), led by Amadou Tham Camara. The meeting, which took place on October 30, 2026, also included Ismaël Keïta, vice-president of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Guinea (CGE-GUI). The discussions focused on restructuring the sector, addressing financial difficulties faced by press enterprises, and upholding deontological rules.
During the meeting, Diallo emphasized the need for a structural and ethical overhaul of the profession. He stressed that there can be no journalist without a medium, and no medium without a journalist. The HAC president highlighted the issue of press enterprises operating without a real existence or staff, and advocated for a revision of the legislative framework to establish clear identification criteria for genuine press enterprises.
Diallo also addressed the issue of state subsidies granted to private media outlets. He called for a revision of the distribution mechanisms to ensure transparency and fairness. The HAC president emphasized that subsidies are assistance, not capital or profit for an enterprise. He suggested that the federation work on clear distribution criteria, supporting deserving structures according to their expenses.
The FEPAP-GUI president, Amadou Tham Camara, presented the financial constraints faced by private media outlets, including heavy taxation, difficulties accessing bank credit, and decreased advertising revenue due to competition from digital platforms. The FEPAP-GUI proposed several solutions, including increasing the state subsidy from 3 to 15 billion Guinean francs in the finance law.
The FEPAP-GUI also suggested integrating the media into the "Simandou 2040" program, allowing local media to access economic opportunities generated by national projects. Additionally, the federation proposed establishing a tripartite dialogue framework, bringing together the HAC, CGE-GUI, and FEPAP-GUI. Ismaël Keïta reaffirmed the CGE-GUI's support and emphasized the need to finalize the sector's collective agreement.
The HAC president recalled the fundamental requirements of the journalist's profession, stressing that a professional and rigorous press is essential to public life. He emphasized the importance of training and resources allocated to investigative journalism. The meeting concluded with the HAC committing to transmit the press patronage's grievances to the competent authorities.
The discussions highlighted the complexities of Guinea's private press sector and the need for collaboration between stakeholders. The HAC and FEPAP-GUI will continue to engage in dialogue to address the challenges facing the sector. The outcome of these efforts will likely have a significant impact on the future of Guinea's media landscape.
Key points
- The HAC and FEPAP-GUI are working together to address the economic challenges and ethics of Guinea's private press sector.
- The meeting discussed potential solutions, including increasing state subsidies and integrating the media into national projects.
- The HAC has committed to transmitting the press patronage's grievances to the competent authorities.
