The "World Press Trends 2005" report, released at the WAN 58th Annual Newspaper Congress in June, shows an increase in circulation and revenue from advertising for the newspaper industry worldwide in 2004. As part of a five week special, RAP 21 publishes African data from the report and speaks to the leaders of newspapers across the continent about trends in their markets, and their views on the future of the newspaper industry.

The newspaper industry in Burundi

With a population of 7.3 million, Burundi has a GDP of US$4.0 billion, and a GDP per capita of US$600. It is one of the poorest countries in Africa. The political context has long been very unstable due to rivalries between the two main tribes living in the country, Hutu and Tutsi, and due to the country’s involvement in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Operating in a turbulent political climate, the media in Burundi are subject to self-censorship and periodic government censorship. Diverse political views do, however, get expressed and there exists an independent press. An important step towards greater press freedom was the implementation of a new press law in 2003, which among other things removed the requirement for newspapers to have their articles reviewed by the government before publication.

There are very few media outlets in Burundi. At the close of 2004, there were six private weekly publications and eight private internet and fax-based sheets. The only daily newspaper is owned by the government. The government also runs the sole TV station, and the only radio station with national coverage. Print runs are small and readership is limited by low literacy levels (51.8 %), radio thus being the main source of information for many Burundians.

International observers remain very critical of Burundi’s press freedom record. The government often suspends and shuts down news media. The International Press Institute (IPI) wrote in their 2004 report that "there have been recurring reports of censorship since the 2003 press laws, and continuing problems for those journalists that report on sensitive issues."

"Le Renouveau"

The government-owned "Le Renouveau" is Burundi’s only daily, with an average circulation of 2,500 in 2004. RAP 21 spoke to the publisher Thaddée Siryuyumunsi about changing trends and his newspaper’s performance over the past year.

"Our newspaper saw an increase in circulation in 2004. The number of copies sold went up by 200 between 2003 and 2004. This is partly due to our collaboration with the National Council in the Fight Against AIDS (CNLS in French), which is in charge of distributing the paper. Thanks to the distribution collaboration, our newspaper now reaches all regions of the country."

As in many other countries in Africa, the ratio of people living with AIDS in Burundi is high, with over 6% of the people infected by the virus (250,000 people). In response, the CNLS and “Le Renouveau” have partnered to improve the information about AIDS in the country. In exchange for the CNLS’s support in distributing the newspaper, “Le Renouveau” dedicates two pages to articles about HIV/AIDS twice a week. "The articles aim to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, to promote the rights of people living with the disease as well as draw attention to different activities against HIV/AIDS undertaken by the government and different organisations."

Another factor that has accounted for the increase in circulation of Le Renouveau is the fact that the newspaper is today published on a regular basis. Before Siryuyumunsi took over the paper more than two years ago, it was published irregularly, if at all. "As such, it was hard to develop the loyalty of the readers".

In 2004, the editorial was also changed. "The same team had been working for “Le Renouveau” for the last 15 years and they were not working very hard anymore. The new team is much more dynamic," says Siryuyumunsi. Other changes that explain the increase in sales are technological improvements, both at the newspaper and at the printing plant.

The second trend that emerged from the 2005 WAN report was the increase in newspaper advertising revenues.

Advertising plays a crucial role for Le Renouveau. "Almost all our revenue comes from advertising. This has been the case for the last five years. As a matter of fact, half of our newspaper’s content is dedicated to advertising," says Siryuyumunsi. The main advertisers are local companies and non-governmental organisations.

When asked about censorship and whether there are limits to what his newspaper can publish because of its close links to the government, Siryuyumunsi says: "When I took over Le Renouveau, I told the journalists that they had to be responsible and that there was no room for self-censorship in the newspaper."

Concerning the future of his newspaper, Siryuyumunsi is optimistic although he recognizes that "our survival is a challenge. But we can’t fail and we have to strengthen our presence on the market."