As of 2025, RTD operates four television channels and four radio stations, broadcasting in French, Arabic, Somali, and Afar. Its principal outlets—Télévision Djibouti and Radio Djibouti—have nationwide reach and remain the most influential sources of news for much of the population, particularly given the limited development of private media in the country.

Media assets

Television: Tele Djibouti 1, Tele Djibouti 2, Tele Djibouti 3, Tele Djibouti 4

Radio: Radio Djibouti 1, Radio Djibouti 2, Radio Djibouti 3, Radio Djibouti 4

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

RTD was formally established by government decree in 1999. It is wholly owned by the state and subordinated to the Ministry of Communication and Culture, which defines its strategic policy direction.

RTD is governed by a Council of Administration composed of seven members: four government officials, one representative from the national media regulator, one RTD staff member, and one representative of a government-aligned NGO. All appointments are made by presidential decree, based on the proposal of the Minister of Communication and Culture.

The Director General of RTD is appointed directly by the government, reinforcing its operational dependence on the executive branch. As of mid-2025, no reforms have been enacted to limit political influence over these appointments or introduce independent oversight.

Source of funding and budget

RTD is financed entirely through the state budget, with no commercial advertising revenue. Its financial allocations are determined and approved annually by the government.

• 2023 budget: DJF 1.6 billion (approx. US$ 9.3 million)
• 2024 budget: Provisionally maintained at DJF 1.6 billion (source: RTD management and Ministry of Communication)

No public audits or financial transparency mechanisms are currently in place, and detailed expenditure reports are not made available to the public.

Editorial independence

RTD’s editorial policy aligns closely with government positions. According to interviews conducted with local journalists and international observers in early 2025, the broadcaster systematically avoids criticism of state authorities and excludes opposition voices from coverage.

There are no domestic statutes guaranteeing editorial independence, nor does RTD benefit from an independent editorial board. The absence of pluralistic content, especially during election periods, has been consistently flagged by media freedom organizations as a major concern.

Recent cases in late 2024 and early 2025 documented internal pressure on RTD journalists to modify or suppress content deemed sensitive or unfavorable to the ruling government. No formal investigations or accountability measures have followed these reports.

June 2025

Media assets

Publishing: La Nation, Djibouti Post

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

La Nation is state-owned and functions as an official press organ of the government. While no formal governance structure is publicly disclosed, the editorial leadership and senior staff are appointed by the Ministry of Communication and Culture.

According to local journalists and media experts interviewed in 2025, appointments at La Nation continue to be politically motivated, with staffing decisions based primarily on loyalty to the ruling authorities. There is no independent board or transparent appointment process in place.

Source of funding and budget

La Nation is entirely funded by the government, with limited or no commercial revenue streams. The paper does not publicly disclose its financial statements or annual budget.

Based on internal sources cited by journalists in Djibouti in early 2025, the newspaper’s operating costs are covered through allocations from the Ministry of Communication’s general media budget. There is no known advertising revenue model, and no independent financial audit mechanisms have been reported.

Editorial independence

La Nation operates as a government mouthpiece, consistently promoting the positions of the ruling party and avoiding criticism of state officials. The newspaper’s coverage overwhelmingly reflects government narratives, and content decisions are often subject to direct or indirect political influence.

Media freedom organizations and local reporters confirm that La Nation does not provide balanced or pluralistic reporting. As of June 2025, no domestic statute or independent regulatory framework exists to safeguard the editorial independence of the newspaper.

Recent content analyses conducted by Media and Journalism Research Center for this project in 2024 and early 2025 indicate that opposition parties, civil society critiques, and politically sensitive topics are systematically excluded from the newspaper’s pages.

June 2025

Media assets

Publishing: Al-Qarn

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Al-Qarn is fully owned and controlled by the government of Djibouti. Its management structure is tightly linked to the political leadership. According to information provided by local journalists and confirmed by a 2023 interview conducted by the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC), the editorial manager of Al-Qarn is appointed directly by the head of the presidential office. This appointment process reflects a broader pattern of political oversight and centralized media governance in the country. No structural reforms or changes in governance have been reported as of June 2025.

Source of funding and budget

Al-Qarn is entirely funded by the state, with no known independent or commercial revenue streams. Financial transparency is lacking: the government does not publicly disclose the newspaper’s annual budget or expenditures. This information gap remains unchanged as of mid-2025. Interviews with media professionals conducted by the MJRC in September 2023 and again in February 2025 reaffirmed that the outlet remains financially dependent on the central government, which continues to cover its operational and staffing costs.

Editorial independence

Al-Qarn functions effectively as a state mouthpiece. Its editorial line is closely aligned with government policies and messaging. The newspaper routinely promotes official government positions, events, and achievements, and does not feature dissenting opinions or coverage critical of state institutions. Local media analysts and journalists have confirmed that this editorial alignment has persisted through 2025.

There are no legal safeguards or independent mechanisms in place to ensure editorial independence at Al-Qarn. No statutory framework exists to regulate state influence over the newspaper’s content or protect journalistic autonomy.

June 2025

Media assets

News agency: Agence Djiboutienne d’Information

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

ADI is fully state-owned and operates under the direct supervision of the government. Its leadership is appointed at the discretion of top government officials, without public oversight or transparent selection procedures.

According to information obtained from local journalists and corroborated by the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) in a 2023 field interview, appointments at ADI are often politically motivated. A notable example is former director Yasser Hassan Boulo, a known government loyalist who concurrently held a seat on the board of the government-controlled Communication Commission, further highlighting the lack of institutional separation between media regulation and political power.

As of June 2025, no reforms to enhance transparency or independence in the agency’s governance structure have been reported.

Source of funding and budget

The ADI is entirely financed by the Djiboutian state. There is no publicly available information regarding its annual budget, revenue streams, or financial reporting practices. Interviews with local journalists and updates gathered in 2023 and 2025 by MJRC confirm that the agency continues to rely exclusively on government funding.

Editorial independence

ADI’s editorial content is closely aligned with the official narratives of the Djiboutian government. According to multiple local journalists and media experts interviewed between 2020 and 2025, the agency operates under strict editorial guidelines designed to ensure favorable coverage of state institutions and political leadership. Critical reporting or independent investigative journalism is absent from its output.

There is no domestic statute or independent regulatory mechanism in place to guarantee or assess the agency’s editorial independence. As of June 2025, no steps have been taken to establish such safeguards, and ADI remains widely viewed as a vehicle for government propaganda.

May 2025