Media assets

Television: TCV

Radio: RCV

State Media Matrix Typology

Captured Public/State Managed Media (CaPu)

Ownership and governance

RTC is a wholly state-owned enterprise. However, since 2019, leadership appointments have formally shifted from direct government nomination to an independent media council, with the intention of reducing executive interference.

In practice, though, political influence remains pervasive. While the governance framework suggests autonomy on paper, media experts and watchdog organizations point out that key decisions within RTC still align closely with the ruling government’s interests. The broadcaster’s President of the Board of Directors, as of June 2025, remains José Emanuel Vieira, who has faced mounting criticism for alleged editorial bias.

Source of funding and budget

RTC derives the bulk of its funding from a monthly license fee—currently CVE 4.80 (approx. €0.045)—collected via ELECTRA, the national energy utility. This model continues to form the backbone of RTC’s financing:

* Estimates based on ELECTRA collection stability and CPI adjustments since 2021; no official releases for these years.

Roughly 70% of collected license fee revenue is allocated to RTC’s operations, while the remaining share funds digital transmission infrastructure and regulatory obligations. Despite this stable revenue stream, recent criticism has emerged over inefficiencies in fund allocation and the lack of financial transparency at RTC.

Editorial independence

RTC’s editorial mission is formally governed by two separate statutes—one for TCV and one for RCV—which emphasize professionalism, impartiality, and journalistic integrity.

Yet in practice, editorial independence remains compromised. International media freedom organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, have flagged systemic political pressure, noting that RTC’s editorial stance often reflects government messaging. Investigations in 2024 by local journalism schools and the Centro de Estudos da Mídia Africana highlighted cases of self-censorship, particularly in relation to social unrest and critiques of government performance.

In March 2025, the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) denounced what it described as “creeping partisanship” at RTC, demanding more transparent appointment processes and statutory reforms.

Moreover, there is no independent oversight body or monitoring mechanism in place to safeguard or verify RTC’s editorial autonomy. Proposals for a public broadcasting watchdog have been repeatedly shelved by parliamentary commissions over the past three years.

June 2025

Media assets

News agency: Inforpress

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Inforpress was established under Decree-Law No. 136/84 and began operating in 1988. The agency remains wholly owned by the government of Cape Verde, with its leadership—namely, the Director-General—appointed directly by the Council of Ministers.

The Director-General of Inforpress remains Jacqueline Elisa Barreto de Carvalho, who was appointed in October 2017 and, based on all available sources as of June 2025, still holds the position.

In February 2025, Parliament shelved a proposed Media Sector Reform Bill that would have created a regulatory framework for public service journalism, including Inforpress. Civil society groups expressed concern about the missed opportunity to introduce editorial safeguards.

Source of funding and budget

Inforpress operates entirely on public subsidies, with no disclosed commercial revenue model. While the exact figures remain undisclosed, interviews with media insiders confirm that Inforpress receives an annual line item in the national budget, routed through the Ministry of Finance and overseen by the Ministry of Culture and Creative Industries.

According to journalist interviews conducted for this report in May 2024, Inforpress does not generate independent revenue from subscriptions or syndication, despite its exclusive distribution of official news content. This heavy dependence on state funding further undermines its editorial credibility.

Editorial independence

Inforpress has no institutional safeguards ensuring editorial independence. Its content is widely perceived as government-aligned, with coverage that routinely prioritizes the activities and messaging of state authorities. Investigative reporting, critical commentary, and opposition voices are either absent or relegated to non-prominent formats.

A 2024 analysis by the Centro de Estudos da Comunicação Lusófona described Inforpress as a “vehicle for state legitimacy,” noting its failure to challenge power structures or reflect pluralistic viewpoints. In the same year, the Cape Verdean Syndicate of Journalists (SJCV) released a public statement lamenting the “culture of institutional silence and editorial obedience” within the agency.

To date, no independent oversight body, ombuds mechanism, or internal review system has been implemented to monitor or evaluate Inforpress’s adherence to professional journalism standards.

June 2025